GARNETT — The tone was set from the first batter of the game Tuesday.
Iola High’s Mustangs got out to early leads in both ends of their doubleheader against Anderson County, including three home runs in the first inning of the opener, and relied on the pitching of Elza Clift and Zoie Hesse to slam the door on any potential Lady Bulldog rallies, winning 5-1 and 10-8.
“Beating Anderson County is huge, but it’s just a step in the direction we need to go,” Mustang head coach Chris Weide said.
Leadoff hitter Elza Clift gave the Mustangs an early jolt in the top of the game.
After trying twice to bunt her way on, missing both for strikes, Clift was forced to swing away on the third pitch of the game.
She connected, sending the ball over the center field fence for a 1-0 lead. Hesse connected two batters later for another solo blast before Kaysin Crusinbery made it a hat trick of home runs with her two-out shot.
“We came out pretty hot,” Weide said.
Clift took it from there, allowing one hit and three walks over seven innings, and striking out 14.
The fun continued in Game 2, where Iola jumped out to a 6-0 lead after 1½ innings.
Anderson County rallied, tying the game at 8-8 in the bottom of the fifth, Hesse’s two-run double put Iola on top for good.
Clift came back in to pitch the final two innings, striking out two more, to seal the win.
“When our pitchers throw strikes, they’re hard to beat,” Weide said. “And we backed them up defensively, which is huge for us.”
ANDERSON County’s only real threat in Game 1 came on a walk and three consecutive passed balls. Caitlyn Foltz scampered home with nobody out to close the gap to 3-1.
But Clift struck out the final two batters of the inning. She allowed only one hit, a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth.
Meanwhile, Iola tacked on single runs in both the fourth and fifth innings.
