In an epic 12-inning showdown at home Friday evening, the Iola High baseball team came up short to Independence in their second loss of the week.
The Mustangs (12-5) jumped out on top in the bottom of the first inning with a four-run inning before responding with two more runs in the bottom of the third for the 6-2 advantage. Independence tied the game with four runs in the fourth and took an 8-6 lead in the sixth.
Iola knotted the game at 8-8 by scoring a couple of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
It took five extra innings for either team to make a winning push. Indy’s Jimmie Bunyard knocked home the winning run on an RBI single for the 9-8 victory.
Tre Wilson drove in a team-high three runs for the Mustangs while Landon Weide and Jarrett Herrmann each knocked in two runs. Ben Kerr also had a team-high three hits while Korbin Cloud, Grady Dougherty, Carter Hutton and Weide each had two hits.
Herrmann started on the mound for Iola and threw 3.1 innings, allowing six runs on six hits and striking out one Bulldog. Gavin Jones then tossed 2.2 innings in relief and served up two runs on three hits with three strikeouts.
Weide was charged with the winning run against him, giving up the lone run on three hits through the final six innings.
Iola hosts Santa Fe Trail on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.
