Fans of pitching were treated to a pair of gems in Newton Friday night, but those cheering for Pella High had to make the drive home without any wins to celebrate, as the Cardinals won both games of a doubleheader; 2-1, 3-1.

As the outcomes would indicate, opportunities to score were limited, as both teams got excellent performances out of their pitching. For the Little Dutch, Jacob Gleason took the loss in game one, while Schyler Kane pitched all the way through in the nightcap. Pella High head coach Al Vasher said he thought the team played great in both games, but seemed to put additional pressure on themselves in several hitting situations with runners on the bases.

“The game is about scoring runs, and we just did not do that tonight at all. We had plenty of guys in position to score runs – we had baserunners on, we had the guys up at the plate that we wanted at the plate – we just couldn’t get the hit when we needed it,” said Vasher. “We have a couple guys right now that I think are pressing a little bit, trying to make that hit, maybe that three-run homer or something like that. I don’t know why, but they are definitely pressing and trying to do a little bit more than they probably need to in that situation – whatever the situation is.”

The Little Dutch dip to 2-3 overall on the season and are right back on the diamond today for a tournament in Ottumwa.