The Pella Christian Baseball Squad starts fast, but it was Knoxville that closed the game fast and the class 3A 4th ranked Panthers defeated the Eagles 15-5 with the game ended in the 6th inning due to the ten run mercy rule. Fans at the game did not think the mercy rule would be enforced as the Eagles jumped out to a 5-0 lead. Lincoln Vänder Molen and Corbin Westerkamp both got on base in the 1st inning, while Grant Kelderman doubled to score both Vander Molen and Westerkamp with Trevor Veenstra getting an RBI groundout to help his own cause. In the 2nd inning, Westerkamp hit a blast to centerfield to make it 5-0, but the Eagles never touched the plate again as Knoxville starter Luke Sapur was lifted in favor of Koby Higginbotham and he took over and shut down the Eagles limiting them to just one hit the rest of the way, while Knoxville finally found its way with Veenstra. Knoxville would chip away at the Eagle lead eventually taking the lead in the 3rd and nursing a 7-5 lead in the 6th, the big blow of the night came from Trenton Kingery.

Panthers Coach Turner Devore told KNIA/KRLS Sports all he was wishing for was a sacrifice fly.

Devore: “0/2 I was thinking sac fly, just get a sac fly, and he crushed it. When Beau got hit I thought, oh no, and you know something good is going to happen when both Beau and Trenton are up, and you just hope they hit it somewhere.”

Meanwhile, Eagles Coach Chris Fynaardt told KNIA/KRLS Sports he was pleased with his team’s start.

Fynaardt: “We lost leads in the 6th inning to Newton, Pella, and last night with Grinnell, and we were hoping to be up to start the game, so it was really good to start like that.”

Knoxville was led by Kingery and his five RBIs, Higginbotham got the win going four innings of relief with no runs on just one hit and two strikeouts. Pella Christian got two RBIs each from Grant Kelderman, and Westerkamp. Veenstra took the loss going four innings giving up seven runs on ten hits, four walks and four strikeouts. Knoxville is 21-1 and will get back to South Central Conference play tonight hosting Davis County, while Pella Christian is 9-9 and also get back to Little Hawkeye Conference play hosting Indianola, a game that can be heard live on 94.3 KNIA.