Montgomery County found the offense hard to come by Tuesday, dropping both its games to Iola 6-3 and 10-4.

The first game featured an intense pitching duel between Cardinals starter Ryan Leiker and Iola starter Bradyn Cole. Neither pitcher allowed a single run to cross for the first three innings of play. That changed in the top of the fourth when the Cardinals used two hits and three Iola errors to push across three runs. Leading 3-0 into the bottom of the sixth, Montgomery County needed just six outs to close out the game. However, Leiker and the rest of the team finally ran out of steam, allowing six hits and six runs to fall behind at 6-3. Montgomery County went down in order in the seventh, dropping the first game of the doubleheader.

The Cardinals struck fast in the second contest. After a strikeout to begin the game, starting pitcher Ryan Powell got himself aboard with a double. Leiker, fresh off his pitching performance, then sent a two-run home run over the left-field fence. Unfortunately, that was all Montgomery County could muster for most of the game, while Iola would finally break through Powell on the mound in the third. The Indians pushed six runs across and added three more in the fourth off of Powell and relief pitcher Easton O'Kane. The Cardinals did add two more runs in the top of the fifth, but it was too little too late, the game being called after five innings at 10-4.

Montgomery County drops to 8-12 on the season. They'll be in action next this Thursday, coming back to Coffeyville to take on Pittsburg. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 pm and can be heard on Sonshine 98.9, KQQF.