An early lead wasn’t enough for the Pella Christian softball team Friday night as their season came to an end with a 7-4 loss to Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont in an opening round Class 2A regional game heard live on 92.1 KRLS.

The Eagles wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as Emri Agre walked, stole second base, advanced to third on a throwing error and scored on a suicide squeeze bunt from younger sister Amaia Agre seven pitches into the game. After Emma Eekhoff walked later in the first inning, Chloe Snyder pushed Pella Christian’s lead to 2-0 with an RBI single that scored courtesy runner Chloe Nikkel. The Rockets responded with two runs in the bottom of the first to tie the game, but the Eagles reclaimed the lead 3-2 in the top of the second when Jessa De Vries scored on a Claire Westerkamp double. Pella Christian added on in the fourth inning with a De Vries sacrifice bunt that plated Snyder and made the game 4-2. 

EBF cut into the Eagles lead with a run in the bottom of the third, before sending eight batters to the plate and scoring three runs to take a 6-4 advantage. The Rockets added in an insurance run in the top of the sixth, before closing out the contest in the seventh. Pella Christian had chances down the stretch to pull even with EBF, including loading the bases in the sixth with no outs, but couldn’t get the hits needed to keep their season alive.

Emri Agre ended her career in an Eagles uniform by posting three walks, two stolen bases, and a run scored. The senior finishes her time on Eagle Lane as the school’s all-time leader in hits (209), runs scored (153), and stolen bases (82) in addition to holding the single season records for stolen bases (37) and runs scored (46).

Pella Christian finishes the season with a 10-28 overall record.