Ciara Heffron’s late game heroics proved to be the difference Thursday night, as the senior’s seventh inning two-run homer lifted the Knoxville softball team past Pella Christian for a 7-6 win heard live on 92.1 KRLS.

The Panthers got the scoring started early, as Addi Dunkin and Charlye Willis scored on an Eagles throwing error to take a 2-0 first inning lead. Knoxville capitalized on another Pella Christian mistake in the top of the fourth, as Jordyn Counts reached second on a fielding error, then scored on a Siena Scott single to push the advantage to 3-0. The Eagles answered with a big bottom half of the fourth inning, with Brynn Roozeboom leading things off with a solo home run and Macy Van Der Hart following that up with a bases loaded fielder’s choice to plate the Eagles second run. Faith Kacmarynski’s two-RBI double and Claire Braafhart’s RBI single gave Pella Christian their first lead of the game at 5-3 at the end of the inning. The Panthers responded with a sacrifice fly from Ralei Danner and a single from Marlea Cox to tie the game at 5-5 in the fifth inning. Faith Kacmarynski’s sixth inning sacrifice fly briefly gave the Eagles a 6-5 lead, but Heffron’s seventh inning homer secured the win for Knoxville. 

Heffron went 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs and two runs scored to help propel the Panthers to 7-7 overall, while Willis earned the complete game win in the circle. Addie Van Arendonk and Rachel Kacmarynski each recorded two hits for Pella Christian, while Maddy Van Zee suffered the complete game loss as the Eagles fell to 1-12 overall. 

The Knoxville softball team is back on the road tonight, competing at Davis County in a 7 pm game at the Mustang Sports Complex in Bloomfield. The Pella Christian softball team is also on the road tonight, traveling to Indianola for a single conference game that can be heard live on 92.1 KRLS at 6:45 pm.