Iola’s Junior American Legion squad got off to a pair of quick starts Friday.
The Indians jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first game of their doubleheader with Olpe, and cruised from there in a 13-6 victory.
Olpe responded with a wallop after Iola jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the nightcap, erupting for nine runs over the final two innings of a 10-5 victory.
Iola’s Grady Dougherty and Kale Pratt got the ball rolling in the opener with RBI singles before Broderick Peters lined a double to right for a quick 4-0 lead.
The Indians took advantage of a walk and two hit batters to lead off the second. Easton Weseloh drove in a run with a sacrifice fly before Kale Pratt lined a two-run single, making it 7-0.
But a dropped third strike, a walk and a pair of infield singles allowed Olpe to slice the gap to 7-4 in the third inning.
That was as close as Olpe could get.
Shaughnessy hit a bases-clearing double in the bottom of the third before Dougherty lined a two-run double over Olpe’s left fielder, making it 12-4.
Dougherty scored on a sixth-inning balk to finish off Iola’s scoring.
Dougherty had a single, double and three RBIs to lead the offense. Pratt had a pair of singles and three RBIs, while Shaughnessy had a double and three RBIs as well. Peters chipped in with a double. Weseloh, Trevor Tatman and Franklin Kerr added one single each.
Dougherty pitched the first five innings, striking out 10 and allowing eight hits. Pratt came on in relief in the sixth inning with a runner on first base and promptly induced a double play grounder and then another ground ball to cap his scoreless inning of work.
IOLA responded quickly in Game 2 after Olpe scored a run in the top of the first.
Austin Crooks led off with a single in the bottom of the first and moved to third on Shaughnessy’s double. Both wound up scoring on back-to-back passed balls before Dougherty drove in Weseloh with a ground ball.
Crooks also kick-started the second-inning rally with a two-out walk. He stole second and third, and then raced home as part of a double-steal with Shaughnessy.
But Olpe erased a 4-1 deficit and tied the score in the third.
