A few Pella mistakes on the bases and in the field were a key difference in a pair of narrow losses to #10 in 4A Indianola, falling 2-1 and 3-2 Monday evening in a conference doubleheader, with game two heard live on 92.1 KRLS.

The home team Indians completed a season sweep over the Dutch to take firm control of the Little Hawkeye Conference race with Dallas Center-Grimes, doing so by taking advantage of Dutch miscues in the field and on the bases. Pella left four runners on between the 4th and 6th innings, and had a pair run into a caught stealing double play in the 5th. Brady Blake had the game changing hit tied 1-1 in the bottom of that inning, launching a two-run home run over the center field fence.

In game one, Pella stranded nine baserunners and committed four errors — and both runs allowed were unearned due to defensive mistakes. Caleb Stewart and Nathan Carey both received hard luck losses on the mound despite each going 5 1/3 innings. Bennett Brueck earned the win in game two after appearing in both contests as a reliever, with Luke Rockhold holding off 10 Pella hits to earn a victory in game one.

Indianola is 19-7 and 11-3 in the conference, while Pella falls to 14-9 overall and 9-5 in league competition; the Indians are off until Wednesday, while Pella hosts Winterset for non-conference action this evening.