HUMBOLDT — Going into Wednesday’s zone championship action, Daylon Splane and Derek Bycroft knew they faced tall tasks.
The Indians needed to win two games against Garnett in order to win the American Legion Zone 4 championship and advance to the state playoffs next week in Fort Scott.
With Iola’s other top pitchers Isaac Vink, Ethan Tavarez and Kane Rogers having to pitch on Tuesday in order to beat Fort Scott, Splane and Bycroft needed to be on top of their games to keep Iola’s season alive.
“Those guys have been clutch the last part of the season here,” Iola coach Rick Vink said. “They have been our two best pitchers the last part of the year… It was just tremendous, those guys won us the games.”
Splane got the game one start and dominated the Muddog batting order. He threw all seven innings in a complete-game 4-0 victory. Splane scattered 10 hits and two walks while striking out nine Muddogs.
“My fastball was just blowing by them,” Splane said. “My arm feels great.”
Iola scored all four of its runs in the fifth inning with the big hit being an RBI double off the bat of first baseman Lance Daniels.
Splane finished the game with 105 pitches after throwing 80 pitches in Sunday’s win over Fort Scott.
In the next game, Iola started Bycroft, who threw 96 pitches on Sunday in a losing effort against Garnett. The Iola High sophomore responded and picked right up where Splane left off in the first game.
“Daylon was pounding the zone, getting outs, getting ground balls and doing what he needed to do so I just wanted to go out there and do the same thing,” Bycroft said. “I pounded the zone with the fastball and (catcher) Nic Zimmerman did a great job back there calling my pitches.”
The Iola offense got going earlier than it did in game one with a pair of runs in the first inning. Keanan Badders opened the scoring with an RBI single and Vink scored later on an error by Garnett.
“Pitching with the lead always makes me feel better,” Bycroft said. “If the game is tied, there is always more pressure.”
Iola tacked on another run in the fourth inning when a bunt single by Blake Ashmore scored Rogers.
Iola held that 3-0 lead until the seventh inning when Bycroft allowed two base runners and was pulled out of the game after 115 pitches.
“We had a team vote,” Bycroft said about staying in for the seventh inning. “The coaches said I threw too much, but I really wanted to stay out there so he had a team vote and my teamates let me try and finish it.”
Kane Rogers came into the game and got the last two outs while only allowing one of the inherited runners to score.
