Will VandeVoort started and Andrew Vander Hart finished a dominant pitching tandem which resulted in Clarke only mustering two hits in an 8-0 victory for Pella Christian in their Class 2A opening round District match-up. VandeVoort allowed a base hit to Walker Adams to lead the ball game, but then allowed only two other runners over the next three innings, striking out two and hitting one. Vander Hart came into the ballgame in the fifth and struck out three en route to retiring all nine Indians batters he faced in order – on just 29 pitches.

The opening score was fired in the Eagles’ half of the second when, following a strikeout by VandeVoort, Caleb Morgan walked up to the plate and lined a stand-up triple over the head of Drake Wedel in center, and what followed were four consecutive base hits by Spencer Fynaardt, Josh VanGorp, Andrew Vander Hart, and Jordan Rossler that pushed three runs across for the Eagles.

“They stopped trying to do so much at the plate and went up there and relaxed and looked for a good pitch to hit,” said Pella Christian Head Coach Brad Rolffs.

The Eagles added five more runs in the bottom of the third when the first five batters reached on a combination of errors and walks by Dylan Diveney, who had just entered the game. Timely and well-placed hits and wild pitches allowed five Eagles players to touch home plate in the fifth, and that was more than enough for the Eagles to triumph in the contest.

Next up for the Eagles is a rematch of Thursday’s game against PCM, which saw Pella Christian walk away with a very convincing 8-6 victory, so expect a very heated and closely contested match-up this Tuesday.

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