BURLINGTON — It’s still early in the season, but Iola High’s baseball team seems to have answered any lingering questions about replacing a bushel of talented departed seniors.
The Mustangs improved to 3-0 with a pair of lopsided wins over Burlington Tuesday, outscoring the Wildcats by a combined 28-1.
Iola’s 13-0 and 15-1 victories leave head coach Ryan Latta optimistic about his team’s fortunes in 2022.
“These guys have played a lot of baseball,” he said. “That definitely helps.”
Mustang pitchers Ryker Curry and Korbin Cloud set the tone in game one, shutting down the Wildcat offense.
Curry pitched into the fourth inning, striking out eight while allowing one hit and walking one. Cloud went the rest of the way, allowing one hit with two strikeouts and no walks.
“Ryker threw well, even with the 20-30 mph wind coming right at him,” Latta said, with wind gusts regularly blowing off hats and otherwise making each fly ball an adventure for the fielders.
Iola threatened, but didn’t score in the first or second innings before breaking through in the third.
Jarrett Herrmann’s leadoff triple turned into a 1-0 lead when he scored on Brandon McKarnin’s ground ball. Curry singled with two outs and moved to second on an error. Drake DeLaTorre doubled in courtesy runner Mac Leonard for the second run. He came in to score on Landon Weide’s double before Cooper Riley capped the rally with an RBI single.
Cloud and Herrmann led off the fourth with singles and TJ Taylor walked to load the bases. McKarnin slapped a two-run single to right before Curry drove in Taylor with a single. DeLaTorre’s sac fly made it 8-0.
Another two-out rally in the fifth sealed the game. Curry doubled and scored on DeLaTorre’s single. Weide’s single put runners on first and third before Riley’s double to center drove in both DeLaTorre and Weide.
Curry and Riley went 3-for-4 with a double apiece. Hermann singled and tripled, while Weide and Riley both went 2-for-4 with a double. Cloud singled twice. McKarnin had a single.
THE MUSTANGS flexed some pitching depth in game 2.
Herrmann got the start, but exited with leg cramps in the first inning. Even so, he struck out two batters in the frame and allowed one hit.
Latta brought Cloud back into pitch, and the sophomore responded with aplomb, striking out four over 1-plus innings of work.
