Playing without their No. 2 player due to injury, the remaining members of the Pella boys tennis team stepped up their caliber of play to lead the Little Dutch to a narrow 5-4 victory over Centerville in Tuesday’s Preliminary Substate meet.  
A shoulder injury kept Brannon Johnson from competing, but it was Pella’s lower-seeded players that came through in the clutch, tying the Big Red 3-3 in singles play, before getting the necessary two match wins at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles to advance the team to the Substate round.  
The Pella boys will now face Maharishi in the semifinals in Fairfield on Saturday.  Fellow Little Hawkeye Conference team Grinnell is in the other semifinal, facing Mount Pleasant.
 Singles  (3-3)
1.  Will Loux lost to David Harshman 6-4, 4-6, 3-6.
2.  Rick Williamson lost to Jake Hawkins 2-6, 4-6.
3.  Jacob Martin defeated Sawyer Henderson 6-0, 3-6, 6-2.
4.  David Lapthorn defeated Zack Bogle 6-2, 6-2.
5.  Nick Shepperd lost to Mike Runyan 3-6, 3-6.
6.  Nick Van Gorp defeated David Sheets 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
Doubles (2-1)
1.  Loux/Shepperd lost to Harshman/Hawkins 3-6, 4-6.
2.  Martin/Lapthorn defeated Henderson/Runyan 6-4, 6-4.
3.  Williamson/Van Gorp defeated Bogle/Sheets 6-1, 6-3.