It was a strong start to the second rotation of the Little Hawkeye Conference season and end of the week for the Pella baseball and softball teams in Newton. The Dutch baseball team won in five innings 11-0 over the Cardinals, while the softball girls were 8-2 winners.

Pella’s boys of summer continued their mid-season surge by completing a season sweep over Newton, scoring three runs in the top of the 1st and six in the top of the 4th. Nathan Vande Lune dazzled on the mound, giving up just four baserunners in five innings of shutout work with five strikeouts. Isaiah Kettler and Nathan Carey each had a pair of hits and three runs batted in apiece, and Anderson Schirm also tallied two singles at the plate.

On the softball diamond, Pella scored runs in the first five innings to control Newton. Ava Curry and Kylie Tauke each had three hits, and Curry left the yard for the second time this summer. Saige DeJong scattered seven baserunners over seven innings, giving up two earned runs and striking out three batters.

The Dutch baseball team improves to 14-7 overall and 9-3 in the Little Hawkeye Conference, having won six in a row; the Pella softball team is 7-14 and 2-10 against league competition. Both have the weekend off before a doubleheader at Indianola Monday — game two of both twin bills can be heard on KNIA/KRLS.