The Pella softball and baseball teams celebrated their graduating members Wednesday evening with opposite results at home conference games; the Dutch girls defeated Grinnell 6-3 and 5-3, while the boys of summer dropped both contests 3-0 and 4-1.

A second half surge continued for the Pella softball team after they only won one game in the first rotation of Little Hawkeye Conference play, winning their fifth and sixth contests in the second trip around the league. The Dutch held off a late comeback rally from Grinnell in game one, preventing any runs after the road team loaded the bases in the 7th inning, and overcame an early home run in game two with five early runs. Kyara Riggen got the save in game one pitching and tossed a complete game to earn the victory in the night cap. Kylie Tauke drove in four runs over the double header and Kamryn Long had a team-best three hits between both games.

Pella’s offense only scraped together one run and stranded several on base between both contests against Grinnell on the baseball diamond. The Tigers were down to their final strike multiple times down by one in game two, only to rip off a four-run, two-out rally to ultimately get the doubleheader sweep and earn the season series over Pella. The Dutch adjusted their pitching rotation as it was announced earlier Wednesday that both the Tigers and Pella would play in the opening round of the Class 3A playoffs on Friday, July 7th.

The Dutch softball team has surged to 13-17 on the season and will look to knock off #5 in 4A Norwalk tonight; hear that game live on 92.1 KRLS. The Pella baseball team is 18-13 overall and drops to 12-8 in the conference; their league finale is also against the Warriors on Friday night.