Mustangs sweep past Chanute to go 4-0

Iola High’s Mustangs are undefeated in Southeast Kansas League baseball action.
The Mustangs have powered past Coffeyville and Chanute to go 4-0 in league and overall. The Mustangs connected for 10 home runs in those four games.
They opened up the 2011 season Friday in a rescheduled home doubleheader with Coffeyville. The Mustangs beat the Golden Tornado boys 11-7 and 8-6. The Mustangs had five home runs in those two victories.
Hosting Chanute High’s Blue Comets Monday, the Mustangs opened the game with a solo home run by Levi Ashmore. Iola went on to win 12-2 in five innings.
The second game featured two home runs by Jerrik Sigg, a home run by Corey Taylor and a two-run home run by Aaron Barclay. Iola notched a 14-5 win.
Sigg pitched a four-hitter in the first game with Chanute. He walked four and hit one batter plus struck out eight. Iola had one error defensively.
Ashmore’s home run put Iola up 1-0 then the Mustangs produced three more runs in the second. Chanute came back to plate two runs in the third.
Up 4-2, the Mustangs got a bases-loaded, two-out double by Mason Coons as they scored five times. Iola took advantage of a Chanute error in the fifth as it pushed across three runs to get the run-ruled win.
Coons and Ashmore each had a single to go with their extra-base hits. Taylor had two singles. Sigg, Braden Larson, Barclay and Devon Conner each had a base hit.
Down 1-0, the Mustangs used three home runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead of the second game. Ashmore walked and scored on a double by Clint Heffern. With one out, Sigg and Taylor hit back-to-back solo home runs. Coons drew a two-out walk and Barclay had a two-run home run.
Chanute battled back with three runs in the second. Taking advantage of four walks issued by Blue Comet pitching, the Mustangs scored six runs in the third inning.
Sigg cranked out his second solo shot of the game to start the inning. Coons and Barclay had RBI singles and Heffern drove in two runs with a base hit.
Each team scored a run in the fourth. Iola added two runs in the fifth for the 14-5 win.
Taylor pitched two innings for Iola, allowing four runs on three hits and five walks. He struck out two. Heffern threw five innings, giving up one run on four hits and two walks and struck out three.
Iola had three errors in the field.
Sigg had two home runs and a double and Barclay had two singles and a home run. Heffern hit a single and double and Coons had two singles.
Taylor had a home run. Hitting a single each were Larson, Conner and Jarred Latta.
On Friday, the Mustangs got out quickly on Coffeyville in their first game of the season. Iola had an 11-0 lead by the end of four innings and won 11-7.
Taylor connected for a two-run home run in a five-run second inning. Larson had a three-run home run in the fourth inning. Ashmore had two singles as the only other hits in the game.
Sigg got the pitching win as he pitched four innings of shutout baseball. He allowed three hits, walked two and struck out six. Heffern was charged with seven runs on three hits and five walks in three innings of work. He struck out six.
The second game was a bit closer. Iola used a three-run home run by Larson to post a 4-1 lead in the first inning. Coffeyville came back to score twice in the second and three times in the fourth to gain a 6-4 lead.
Iola tied the game in the fourth on solo home runs by Ashmore and Sigg.
The Mustangs scored the winning runs in the sixth in a walk-fest. Heffern walked and stole second base then went to third on a pass ball. Sigg drew a walk and stole second base.
Taylor, Larson and Conner each drew walks forcing in two runs.
Jarred Latta and the Mustangs retired Coffeyville in order in the seventh. Latta, pitching in relief of Taylor, worked 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits and one walk. He struck out six.
Taylor went 1 2/3 innings and was charged with three runs on two hits, five walks and one hit batter. He struck out two. Iola had two errors defensively.
Heffern had a single and a double. Those with a single each were Ashmore, Barclay and Conner.
Iola’s junior varsity goes to Chanute today and plays at Independence Thursday.
The Mustang varsity is back in action Monday at Prairie View.
Note: The Register did receive the Mustang information from Friday’s game until it was located in a different spot in the office.