BURLINGTON — By the time Register readers read this story, Iola American Legion Post 15’s A team may have won a zone championship and a trip to state.
But the A Indians don’t want to count their chickens before they are hatched. They did defeat Burlington 12-1 in five innings Thursday night. That put them in Friday’s championship game of the Kansas American Legion Single A Zone 3 tournament.
Burlington dropped into the losers bracket final against Eureka, an 8-7 winner over Emporia Thursday night. Burlington, which beat Eureka in the opening round on Wednesday, and Eureka played at 6 p.m. Friday.
The winner moved into the title game against Iola at 8 o’clock. If Iola won, the Indians are champions and advance to the Kansas American Legion Single A State Tournament next week in Pratt. If Iola lost Friday night, there is a second game this morning at 10 to determine the championship.
In Thursday night’s contest, Burlington scored a run in the top of the second to lead 1-0. It didn’t hold up very long.
With one gone in Iola’s half of the second, Grayson Pearish singled followed by a fielder’s choice by Eric Heffern. Thealvin Minor and Cole Morrison had back-to-back singles and Drew Faulhaber reached on an error.
Iola grabbed a 3-1 lead. That was enough for starting pitcher Aaron Barclay. Barclay and the A Indians kept Burlington’s offense under wraps the next three innings.
Barclay allowed just one hit in the game. He walked three and struck out six.
The Indians pushed their lead to 6-1 with three runs in the fourth. They closed the game in run-rule fashion by scoring six runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Morrison was 3-for-3 with three base hits and drove in three runs. Caleb Vanatta connected a double and two singles with three RBIs.
Derrick Weir drove in two runs with a double. Pearish had a single and a triple. Heffern and Minor each had a single.
Iola A was 17-6 heading into Friday’s championship game.
The winner of Zone 3 advances to state, which begins on Wednesday in Pratt.
