Photo Courtesy of Lisa K. Morgan Photography

Hosting Centerville in the Class 2A Substate 6 quarterfinals Wednesday night, the Pella Christian baseball team needed a late offensive outburst to pick up an 8-2 victory heard live on 92.1 KRLS.

The Big Reds got the scoring started in the top of the second inning, taking advantage of two Eagles’ errors with a sacrifice bunt to take a 1-0 lead. A single, two passed balls, and an RBI-ground out in the top of the fourth pushed Centerville’s lead to 2-0. Pella Christian cut the deficit back to one in the bottom of the frame when Brecken Ritzert, who was courtesy running for Eliot Menninga, scored on a bases loaded single from Simon Belzer. Lincoln Vander Molen’s single in the bottom of the fifth scored Johnson Morgan and Corbin Westerkamp to give the Eagles their first lead of the night at 3-2. Pella Christian poured it on in the sixth inning, sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring five runs to give themselves an 8-2 lead heading into the final frame. In the seventh, Centerville loaded the bases with one out, but Westerkamp struck out the final two batters to push the Eagles into the semifinals.

As the starter, Vander Molen took a no-decision on the mound for Pella Christian, allowing just two hits and one earned run in 3.2 innings pitch while striking out five. Westerkamp dominated the Big Reds to earn the win in 3.1 innings of relief. Recording the final 10 outs, Westerkamp struck out nine Centerville batters and allowed just one hit and four walks. Grant Kelderman and Simon Belzer each posted three hits in the win, while Kelderman, Westerkamp, and Vander Molen each had two RBIs in pushing the Eagles to 16-16 overall on the season.

With the quarterfinal results from Wednesday night, the Pella Christian baseball team will take on Central Decatur in the Class 2A Substate 6 semifinals at Knoxville High School on Saturday.