The Indianola baseball team entered Wednesday’s substate final game with one win separating them from their first state tournament appearance since 2010. The Indians would be denied that fortune, falling on the road to #1 ranked Johnston 10-0 in five innings in a game aired live on 94.3 KNIA.

The Dragons got the scoring going early courtesy of a 2-run homer by Andrew Nord. Johnston kept the 2-0 lead through the end of the fourth in what turned out to be a close pitching battle. Nord later hit a triple in a huge fifth inning for the Dragons, where they exploded for eight runs to put the run rule into effect, ending the game in five innings. Grady Haynes and Cam Williams accounted for the only two base hits in the game for Indianola. Joey Bylund took the loss on the mound, pitching 4⅓ innings, giving up five earned runs, seven base hits, five walks and had four strikeouts. Indianola’s season ends with a record of 24-15. Johnston improves to 34-5 and advances to the state tournament.