Garnett’s big innings spelled big trouble Monday for Iola’s Junior American Legion baseball squad.
The visiting Muddogs spotted Iola an early 4-0 lead before erupting for four in the fourth, seven in the fifth and four more in the seventh to roll to a 16-5 victory.
Iola was unable to stem the tide in Game 2. Garnett raced to a 7-0 lead after 2½ innings and never looked back in a 13-4 victory.
The Muddogs racked up 27 hits over the two games and took advantage of 13 walks.
Iola started out quickly in the opener. Kale Pratt singled in Tre Wilson for the game’s first run before Brock Michael stole home to give Iola a 2-0 lead.
Easton Weseloh walked with one out in the third and raced to third on Grady Dougherty’s double, where Pratt drove both in with another single.
But Garnett found its hitting stroke in the top of the fourth, scoring four times to knot the score, and putting things quickly out of reach with a seven-run fifth.
Wilson got a run back in the bottom of the fifth with a leadoff single. He moved to second and third on consecutive fly balls, and then stole home when the ball got away from the Muddogs’ catcher.
But the Indians came up empty after Ty Shaughnessy and Trevor Tatman reached base in the sixth, and Garnett closed things out with a four-run seventh.
Wilson and Pratt both had a pair of singles to pace the Iola offense. Dougherty had a double. Shaughnessy, Tatman and Broderick Peters all had singles.
Wilson got the start, allowing five hits over four innings with seven strikeouts. Pratt pitched the final three innings, striking out three.
THE MUDDOGS took the bull by the horns early in Game 2, scoring four times in the first inning, one in the second and two in the third to lead 7-0.
Iola put on a pair of runners in the first and one more in the second, but did not dent the scoreboard until rallying with two outs in the third. Pratt and Weseloh both singled, and Pratt stole home for the Indians’ first run. Dougherty followed with an RBI double, making it 7-2.
The lead stood at 11-2 before Shaughnessy doubled and scored on a Peters single. Pratt capped the team’s scoring when he singled with one out in the fifth, and proceeded to steal second and home.
Shaughnessy had a single and double to lead Iola’s batters in the nightcap. Pratt and Weseloh both singled twice, Dougherty chipped in with a double, and Brodon Westerman had a single.
