Senior pitcher Tom Bouwkamp left it all on the field Tuesday night, but it wasn’t enough, as Pella Christian fell to Albia in the second round of the Class 2A District Tournament by a score of 2-1.  

Bouwkamp gave up one earned run on just six hits and no walks, while striking out nine Blue Demon batters in seven innings.  He also reached base twice and had one of the three Eagle hits; scoring the only run of the game for Pella Christian.  

Unfortunately for Bouwkamp and the rest of the Eagles, the top-notch performance was matched by the equally impressive Jake Stalzer for Albia, who in seven innings gave up three hits and struck out four.  

Both pitchers retired the side in order in the first inning and Stalzer faced the minimum number of batters through three innings.  Albia struck first in the second inning when Wilson Sinclair and Austin Summers hit back-to-back doubles to give the Blue Demons a 1-0 lead.  

It wasn’t until the fourth frame that Bouwkamp walked to lead off the inning and Zach Zylstra drove him in for the first Pella Christian hit of the game.  In the very next inning, Albia capitalized on a dropped third strike, allowing Blake Schroeder to reach base.  He later scored on a J.D. Curran single.  

The Eagles put up a fight in the seventh and final inning, with Will Vande Voort picking up a two-out single, but Stalzer swiftly ended any hopes of a rally on the very next batter.  

The Pella Christian baseball team finishes the season with a 23-14 overall record.  Albia advances to Saturday’s District Final, where they will face the hosting Eddyville-Blakesburg Rockets.

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