Photo by Lisa K. Morgan
A strong start continued in Oskaloosa Saturday morning for the Pella Christian softball team, knocking off No. 4 in 3A West Burlington 3-1 and Cardinal 9-1 in a pair of tournament games, while their Eagle counterparts on the baseball diamond could not overcome a pair of poor first innings defensively in an 11-6 loss to North Mahaska and 8-5 loss to Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Saturday.
There was no emotional or physical hangover present for Pella Christian just 12 hours after defeating Grinnell in an eight-inning comeback, as the Eagles girls scored eight of their nine runs in the first three innings against the Comets in the opener. Natalie Harrill continued her scorching start at the plate–adding two hits and four RBIs and Emri Agre had three hits with a pair of runs scored. Trinity Vos struck out five batters in five innings with one earned run to get the win in the circle, and also drove in a pair of runs on a single.
A showdown with the unbeaten and ranked in 3A West Burlington Falcons was one of the highlight games at the Lacey Sports Complex, and after a scoreless dual in the first three innings, the Eagles mustered three runs in the top of the 4th, keyed by a two-run single by Bailey Roose and RBI double by Jarah Morgan. From there, Alexa Dunsbergen relied on her defense to keep the Falcons in check, pitching 7 innings and giving up an earned run in the 6th inning with just 63 pitches, and only one error behind her from the P.C. defense. Roose finished 3-for-3 in game two, and Trinity Vos was 2-for-3 from the plate. Pella Christian’s softball team is 8-3, but has perhaps their toughest test of the season waiting Monday in a doubleheader at No. 1 in 4A Dallas Center-Grimes.
In Eddyville, giving up a pair of four-run first innings to both opponents was too much to overcome as growing pains continued for the young Eagles baseball team. Pella Christian allowed four Warhawks and four Rockets to touch home plate before the first three outs were recorded. Against the hosts, Pella Christian rallied for three runs in the 4th inning to bring the deficit down to one, only to allow three to be scored by EBF in the bottom of the 6th. Corbin Westerkamp had a pair of hits and Kellan Shull had a pair of runs driven in, with Ty Vander Molen holding the Rockets to three earned runs in five innings of relief.
A similar story unfolded against the Warhawks, as North Mahaska scored in all but one inning to keep the pressure on the Eagles. P.C. hit a five-spot to make the contest 7-6 after the 4th, but North Mahaska chipped out a larger margin frame-by-frame over the final three to get to their 11-6 victory. Caleb Belzer was 2-for-3 with a run scored, and Westerkamp added an RBI to his impressive two game showing at the plate. The Eagles baseball team falls to 1-8 and will look to right the ship in the win column Monday evening at Dallas Center-Grimes in a varsity doubleheader. Both the softball and baseball twin bills in Grimes start at 5:30 p.m.