Another chapter was written in the Tulip City softball rivalry Wednesday evening as Pella played host to Pella Christian. It was the Eagles that earned a doubleheader sweep on the road in two very different games, as broadcast live on KRLS3. Game one went to the Eagles by a 9-4 final, while it took eight innings for Pella Christian to finish off a 7-5 win in game two.
After the Lady Dutch took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, Pella Christian tacked on three runs over the next two innings. A six-run outburst in the fourth put the Eagles up 9-1, a lead that Pella never got close to threatening. The Lady Dutch tacked on three runs in the final two innings, but the Eagles were able to limit the damage and secure the win.
Chloe Morgan picked up four base hits in game one to lead the way at the plate. Eight of the nine Eagles batters picked up at least one hit in the game. Eighth grader Ava Curry led the Dutch with two hits and two RBI’s.
The Lady Dutch managed to build a 5-1 lead after two innings in game two. The teams both remained scoreless until the top of the sixth, when Pella Chrsitian closed the gap to 5-4. Heading into the top of the seventh, the Eagles needed at least one run to continue the game past the frame. A bases-loaded walk got them just that, and the game went into extra innings tied at 5. Two Lady Dutch fielding errors allowed the Eagles to score two runs in the top of the eight, and a rally in the bottom of the frame was barely held off. Eagles coach Karen Harrill says that she challenged her team after they found themselves down big, and they delivered in a big way.
“This was a hard-fought battle, even though we were ahead in the first game, they came back, and we really never put the end onto it. We need to learn how to finish games a little better so we can save some pitches for the pitchers, because our pitchers pitched quite a few pitches tonight. The second game was just ‘Hey listen, we we do not have the enthusiasm we need, we do not have the passion we need.’ And that was kind of our word tonight, passion. They have to have the passion. Coaches can’t go out there and play. I wish I could, but I can’t. So I can give them direction, I can give them some corrections, but they have to do it. I’m just super proud of this team, it took every single person.”
Chloe Morgan once again led the way with three base hits. Sierra Pleima and Emri Agre each added two hits. Brynnlin Kroymann, Kylie Tauke and Ella Corbin each picked up multiple hits for the Lady Dutch. Each team used three pitchers throughout the evening. Cheyanne Collins saw the bulk of the work for the Eagles, while Ella Corbin pitched 7 ⅔ innings in game 2 for Pella, exiting the game in the eighth after 150 pitches.
Pella falls to 0-3 on the season, and will travel to Indianola today. Pella Christian moves to 2-1, and has their home opener this evening against Knoxville, a game that will air live on 92.1 KRLS.