The Pella Christian baseball team split a Little Hawkeye Conference doubleheader with Newton Friday night, winning game one 6-2 and falling in the second game heard live on KNIAKRLS.com 2-5. Meanwhile, the Eagles softball squad was swept by the Cardinals 10-6 and 7-5 in 11 innings.

In game one of the baseball twinbill, Pella Christian plated runs in each of the first three innings to take a 4-0 lead that they held into the sixth. Newton cut the lead in half with two runs in the top of the sixth, but the Eagles got both runs back in the bottom of the frame and held on for the win. In game two, the two teams mirrored each other with two scoreless innings, followed by both teams plating a run in the third. Newton took control of the game in the top of the fourth with three-runs and picked up the win after each team scored one more run. Pella Christian’s record moved to 15-13 overall and 7-11 in the conference with the split. Lincoln Vander Molen struck out eight in the complete game win in the first contest, while Johnson Morgan came on in relief in game two and took the loss. Collin Vanderwal had a great night at the plate, recording three hits and posting five of the team’s seven RBIs on the night.

Pella Christian softball got off to a great start in the doubleheader, scoring five runs in the first inning. Newton cut the lead to 5-3 going into the bottom of the third, but the Eagles plated their final run of the first contest in the bottom of the inning to go up 6-3. The lead slipped away in the fourth inning, when the Cardinals scored seven runs and held on the rest of the way for the 10-6 win. Pella Christian bounced back by scoring single runs in five of the first six innings of game two, taking a 5-3 lead into the seventh. Newton tied the game with two runs in the top of the seventh, and after three scoreless extra frames, scored two more in the top of the 11th to drop the Eagles to 10-22 overall and 3-14 in the league. Emri Agre, Emma Eekhoff, Brynn Roozeboom, and Jessa De Vries each posted two RBI on the night, while Eekhoff and Maddy Van Zee suffered the losses in the circle.

The Pella Christian softball team is back in action this morning with a home triangular against Des Moines Christian and Clarinda beginning at 8:30 a.m., while the baseball team is off until Monday’s Tulip City Showdown with Pella.