The A Iola Indians had been perfect against Ottawa Post 60 until Thursday night.
The Indians had won their previous four meetings, but in game 1, Ottawa won 3-2. The Indians rebounded in the second leg, winning 8-4 to move their record to 13-4 on the year.
Ottawa took a one-run lead in the first, with the Indians leveled the score in the second. Maddox Johnson collected an RBI with a sacrifice fly to center field, which allowed Drake DeLaTorre to score.
Post 60 answered with a run of their own in the second to regain the lead. Once again, the Indians stood up to the challenge. Gavin Page brought home Trevor Church on a sacrifice fly, evening the score at 2-2 after three innings.
Iola’s pitching staff was by committee for game 1, with Church, Trey Sommer, and Brandon McKarnin all featuring for the Indians. The trio combined for nine strikeouts while allowing five hits and two earned runs.
Ottawa scored the game-winning run in the top-half of the sixth, ending Iola’s eight-game winning streak that started on June 9.
The Indians looked more like their usual selves in game 2. Trailing 4-2 entering the bottom-half of the third, Iola’s bats finally came alive. A bases-loaded walk for Johnson scored McKarnin, and a wild pitch that let DeLaTorre slide home safely evened the score.
Jack White gave the Indians the lead with a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt, scoring Sommer from third. The Indians added two more runs in the third, taking a 7-4 lead with two innings remaining.
Sommer held it down on the mound for the final four outs, being the only Indian pitcher to earn a strikeout in the five-inning game. Sommer earned two strikeouts and allowed no runs or hits in his brief appearance.
Iola added an insurance run in the fourth off an Ottawa miscue that gave McKarnin a free path to home plate, and secure the 8-4 victory.
The Indians will stay busy this weekend with a tournament scheduled for Today and Sunday in Emporia.
