Montgomery County split its doubleheader with the Iola Indians on Thursday, dropping the first contest 7-1 but recovering well to take the second game at 5-4.

The first game would be decided by the first inning, as starting pitcher Matthew Whitson ran into some early trouble. Nine Iola batters came to the plate in the top of the first, scoring 5 runs. Whitson would improve over the course of the game, and only allowed 2 more runs to score in 4.2 innings of work. He'd also throw over 100 pitches on the day, a first for the Cardinals this season. However, the Montgomery County offense wasn't up to par early in the day, scoring just 1 run on an error by the Iola third baseman. Four hits wouldn't be enough to push the team to victory, as they dropped the first game 7-1.

Although Iola once again kicked off the scoring in the second game, scoring 2 runs, it was Montgomery County that would do the most damage in the early going. The Cardinals gathered four consecutive hits to start the game, scoring 4 runs that would prove to be vital. After a few more scoreless innings, guided by starting pitcher Mason Seigel, Montgomery County would run into some trouble in the fifth, final inning. Seigel walked the bases loaded and allowed 2 runs that pushed the game to just 5-4. However, Ryan Leiker would come on in relief and record the final 2 outs, including a strikeout to conclude the game at 5-4.

Montgomery County is now 2-6 on the season. They'll be back in action next Tuesday, staying at home to play host to Nowata. First pitch will be at 6:00 pm, and can be heard on Sonshine 98.9, KQQF.