Several chances to score came up empty for the Pella softball team as they fell to end the 2021 summer season in Grinnell in an 11-1, six-inning regional playoff game heard live on 92.1 KRLS Thursday evening.

Through 4 1/2 innings, the Lady Dutch played their conference opponents to a 1-1 tie, capped by an RBI double from Tori Van Vark. However, during those frames, Pella racked up 10 stranded baserunners — and the Tigers broke through in the bottom of the 5th, scoring seven runs to effectively end the competition. Grinnell was aided by 14 walks issued by Pella pitching. The game ended in walk-off fashion in the 6th inning due to the 10-run mercy rule.

Pella’s softball team finishes the summer season at 8-27 overall, but will have the chance to return the entire roster that won 5 of 7 heading into the playoffs with no seniors on the roster.

Neither baseball team at Pella High School had much incentive to show their top pitching as the Dutch welcomed Bondurant-Farrar for Senior Night festivities Thursday in a 7-5 loss. The game was moved up 24 hours due to the impending threat for thunderstorms later this evening, but wasn’t going to feature either squad’s top arms, as the Dutch and Bluejays are scheduled to square off in the upcoming 3A Substate Playoffs in the same location in one week’s time.

Keegan Hansen kept Bondurant in check until running out of gas in the 5th, giving up four runs in the inning after the Dutch had built a 4-2 lead. Ryan Mace finished 2-for-4 with a double at the plate. Pella falls to 17-14 and will try to finish the conference doubleheader postponed due to rain in Dallas Center-Grimes earlier this summer on Saturday afternoon.