GARNETT — Iola American Legion Post 15’s AA Indians got the task at hand done. They won Wednesday night to stay in contention in the Kansas American Legion AA Zone 3 Tournament.
The Indians knew it was win or pack it up for the summer. They also knew that the last time they faced Garnett, the tournament’s host team, they lost two close games.
There was no close game Wednesday in the losers bracket of the zone tournament. The Indians pulled out an 11-1 run-rule victory in four innings.
Linn County ousted Chanute in a run-rule contest earlier Wednesday.
Iola (30-12) has to wait to see which team it plays in the next step of its trek through the losers bracket. The Indians play Friday at 8 p.m. and will face the loser of tonight’s Baxter Springs-Fort Scott game.
Linn County plays the loser of tonight’s Burlington-Osawatomie game at 6 p.m. Friday.
The winners of the two Friday night games meet at 4 p.m. Saturday in the losers bracket. That game winner takes on the loser of Saturday morning’s winner bracket game.
The Zone 3 tournament championship game is at noon Sunday in Garnett.
Iola’s Ethan Ericson limited Garnett to three hits. He walked three and struck out eight. Iola committed two errors, one which resulted in Garnett’s run in the third inning.
The Indians scored three runs in the second inning. With one out, Mason Coons and Clint Heffern drew back-to-back walks. Iola got RBI singles by Jarred Latta, Levi Ashmore and Jerrik Sigg.
In the third, Ryan Latta led off reaching base on an error followed by Drew Walden drawing a walk. Coons was safe on an error then Heffern cranked out a two-run double and Jarred Latta had a RBI sacrifice fly.
The Indians weren’t done. Ashmore singled and Dalton Smith doubled in a run. With two gone, Corey Taylor drove in two runs on a base hit.
Up 9-1, Iola brought the game to an end by scoring twice in the bottom of the fourth.
Ashmore was 3-for-3 with two singles and a double. Smith and Heffern each had a double.
Hitting a single each were Sigg, Taylor, Walden, Devon Conner and Jarred Latta.
Iola AA Indians run rule Garnett to stay in zone
