One pitch was the ultimate difference for the Pella baseball team in their upset bid falling short against #3 in 4A Dallas Center-Grimes, while the newly-ranked #14 in 4A Dutch softball team couldn’t string at-bats together against the #6 Mustangs Wednesday evening. The baseball team lost 1-0 while the softball girls dropped their contest 10-0 in Dallas Center.

For the boys, a first-inning home run was the ultimate difference in an otherwise spectacular performance by Teagan Hoekstra, who allowed just four hits and struck out six against one of the best batting orders in the entire state. The Dutch offense struggled, mustering just two hits against DCG.

Pella’s softball girls had Ava Curry and Elah Heimstra combine for two hits each, but the rest of the Dutch order only got on base safely once the rest of the contest. DCG’s six-run 4th inning tipped the scales in favor of the home team.

Pella baseball falls to 16-7 and 10-4 in the conference while the softball team drops to 13-9 and 8-6 in league competition, and both are off until they travel to Oskaloosa for doubleheaders on Friday. Game two of the softball twin bill will be live on 92.1 KRLS.