How a team handles adversity usually indicates how successful it will be on the baseball diamond.
Iola High’s Mustangs hammered that point home with authority Tuesday.
After being held without a hit through the first two innings, Iola took advantage of a series of Burlington miscues, pouring across 12 runs in the bottom of the third.
Conversely, a first-inning error allowed Burlington to put two runners on base, but Mustang starting pitcher Nathan Louk was able to snuff the scoring opportunity.
The resulting 12-0 victory kickstarted an enjoyably windy day for the Iola Nine.
The Mustangs kept up the pressure in the second game of the doubleheader, erupting for 11 runs in the first and seven in the second to win, 18-2.
“The first game kind of started out flat, but we started putting balls in play and putting pressure on the defense,” Iola head coach Ryan Latta said. “It had a snowball effect.”
That snowball effect turned into an avalanche.
The opener turned in Iola’s favor after Kole Rogers’ hard ground ball was misplayed by the Burlington first baseman. A sacrifice bunt attempt by Jarrett Herrmann turned into error number two by the Wildcat pitcher, putting runners on second and third.
Ryker Curry roped a line drive single to center for a 2-0 lead. Another throwing error put Curry at third before he scored on Nathan Louk’s double down the line. A two-out walk to Bradyn Cole followed, then Drake Sellman was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Brandon McKarnin, whose ground ball led to Burlington’s fourth error of the inning, a fielding miscure by the Wildcat second basemen.
Eli Smith kept up the fun with a two-run single and a 6-0 lead.
Rogers walked to reload the bases, then Herrmann walked for another RBI, then Curry was hit by a pitch for another run and an 8-0 lead.
That teed up Louk for the game’s biggest blast, a grand slam beyond the left field wall.
That was more than enough for Louk, who also got the start on the mound and tossed 3 ⅔ innings of scoreless baseball. He surrendered three hits with four strikeouts, and worked around Burlington’s early scoring threat.
The Wildcats led off the game with two straight hits, and then had runners on first and third following a fielding error by the Mustangs. But Louk ended the threat with two strikeouts and a fly ball to center.
“We talk about that a lot,” said Latta, who earned his first two career coaching victories with the sweep. “We want the guys, if they make an error, to shrug it off and get ready for the next play. You can’t be worried about your previous mistake.”
