FORT SCOTT — Iola’s Junior American Legion Indians shook off the disappointment of a Game 1 loss Thursday.
After dropping a 14-6 decision to Fort Scott’s E3 Freedom in their doubleheader opener, the Indians rolled behind the pitching of Austin Crooks in a 17-0 romp.
Thursday’s doubleheader came in the midst of a 12-games-in-nine-day stretch.
Iola hosted Olpe for a doubleheader on Friday — results were unavailable by press time — and will be home for doubleheaders against Garnett Monday, Neodesha Tuesday and Colony Thursday.
Iola led Thursday’s opener 2-0 after half an inning, courtesy of wild pitch that allowed Crooks to score, and an RBI double from Brock Michael.
But E3 Freedom knotted the score in its half of the first inning and then took control with a four-run third.
Crooks sliced Iola’s deficit to 6-3 when he walked to lead off the third and eventually came in to score after the ball got away from E3’s catcher.
Michael hit a leadoff double in the third and scored on Reed Clift’s RBI grounder. Problem was, Iola trailed 10-4 by that point. Easton Weseloh hit a sixth-inning triple and scored on Kale Pratt’s ground ball. Franklin Kerr singled in the seventh and scored on Franklin Kerr’s single for Iola’s final run.
Michael paced the offense with a pair of doubles. Weseloh tripled, while Broden Emerson and Trevor Tatman chipped in with doubles. Clift and Kerr added singles.
Weseloh, Ty Shaughnessy, Clift and Pratt shared pitching duties, striking out six.
GAME 2 was a different story.
Iola’s first three runs came on either dropped third strikes or passed balls before Tatman hit an RBI grounder, making it 4-0 in the first.
The Indians hit their groove in the second inning, stringing together nine hits, four walks and two hit batters as part of an 11-run outburst. Emerson doubled home Tatman in the third to make it 16-0. Crooks hit a one-out triple in the fourth and scored on Weseloh’s sac fly to cap the scoring.
Crooks scattered six hits over four shutout innings with five strikeouts and a walk. Crooks went 3-for-3 with a triple. Tatman went 3-for-3 with a double as well. Emerson singled and doubled. Brodon Westerman and Michael both had a pair of singles. Adding one single each were Shaughnessy and Weseloh.
