Kael Kolarik went 3-4 and Gabe Zwanzinger pitched six-and-a-third solid innings as the Indianola baseball team beat Pella Christian 5-2 last night in Pella in a game heard live on 92.1 KRLS. 

From the Eagle perspective, it was defensive errors and missed opportunities that spoiled a beautiful night on their home field.

After Lawson Bruxvoort made quick work of the Indians in the top of the first inning, Pella Christian loaded the bases in the bottom half, but coach Jeff Bruxvoort’s club couldn’t push a run across.

“One of the things that we’ve struggled with so far this year is leaving runners on base, and we left three runners on base in the first inning with one out by hitting into that double play.  That kind of killed the momentum there, and that’s something that we’ve been working on. Unfortunately we didn’t hit the ball as well as we had been earlier this week.”

Pella Christian stranded 10 runners in the game, including two each in the sixth and seventh inning as the Indians staved off a late Eagle rally.

Indianola struck first when a Tyce Johnson sacrifice fly and Pella Christian error led to a pair of runs in the third.  Kolarik led off the fourth with a single, stole two bases, and scored on another Eagle error, then Kolarik added an RBI double in the fifth and Zwanzinger smacked an RBI double in the seventh.

On the mound, Zwanzinger allowed two runs on six hits while walking seven and striking out five.  

For Pella Christian, Bruxvoort went six innings, striking out eight, and Will Dembski had two hits, including a double.

The Eagles are 4-5 on the season and 1-2 in Little Hawkeye Conference play.  They’ll travel to Grinnell for a twinbill Monday night.

The Indians are 4-6 and 3-0 in the LHC.  They’ll return to action on Monday at DCG, with game two of the doubleheader live on 94.3 KNIA.