The Pella Christian softball team swept Newton in a doubleheader Monday night to earn their first Little Hawkeye Conference season series win since 2023. The Eagles opened the twinbill with an 8-1 victory, before winning a thriller in the nightcap 6-5, and the second game was heard live on 92.1 KRLS.

After two scoreless innings in the first game, the Cardinals’ Leileigh Hammons blasted a solo home run to lead off the top of the third, but it was all Pella Christian from there. A Faith Kacmarynski single in the bottom of the third plated Jessa DeVries to retie the game at 1-1, before Chloe Snyder’s three-run homer pushed the Eagles in front 4-1. Pella Christian wasn’t done adding to the advantage, as Laurel Roozeboom drew a bases loaded walk and Maddy Van Zee added a sacrifice fly to score Rachel Kacmarynski and Ani Bell to make the score 6-1 after the fifth inning. The Eagles finished the scoring in the sixth, with Faith Kacmarynski doubling home Brynn Runner and Rachel Kacmarynski. Roozeboom earned the win in the circle for Pella Christian, throwing a complete game one-hitter, while allowing just the one run and one walk. 

The nightcap saw a back-and-forth contest between the Eagles and Newton. Hammonds again gave the Cardinals an early lead with an RBI single in the top of the first, only for Pella Christian to answer with an Amaia Agre RBI single in the bottom of the frame. Newton broke the 1-1 tie in the top of the second inning by plating two runs, with one coming on an error off the bat Emerson Ray and the other coming from Mack Sims stealing home. The Eagles quickly answered with three runs in the bottom of the second, as Addison Bandstra and Brynn Runner recorded RBI singles and Faith drew a bases loaded walk. The Cardinals knotted the game back up at 4-4 when Brooklynn Britton stole home in the third inning, and that tie held for the next three innings. Faith Kacmarynski finally broke the tie with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, crushing a two-RBI double to right-center field to give Pella Christian a 6-4 advantage. Newton didn’t go away quietly, as Viana Vasseau blasted a solo home run to left field with two outs in the top of the seventh, but the Eagles ended the rally with a fly out on the next batter to secure the sweep.

Faith Kacmarynski went 4-7 on the night with six RBIs and two doubles to lead the Eagles offense, while Rachel Kacmarnski with 3-5 with three runs scored. Lexi Frehse was the lone Cardinal with multiple hits on the night, going 2-3 with an RBI. Van Zee got the win in the circle for Pella Christian in the second game, while Paige Benson and Hammons took the losses for Newton.

The Eagles softball team is back in action for a single conference game on Wednesday at Norwalk at 7:30pm, and coverage can be heard live on 92.1 KRLS at 7 pm. The Cardinals return to the Tulip City on Wednesday for a single conference game at Pella at 7:30 pm, and coverage can be heard live on the KRLS2 stream at 7:15 pm.