The Pella Christian softball and baseball teams traveled to Oskaloosa Wednesday night for Little Hawkeye Conference doubleheaders, and both twinbills resulted in splits with the Eagles dropping the first game and winning the second game.
On the softball diamond, Pella Christian fell in the opener 1-0, before taking the nightcap 7-0. The Eagles outhit the Indians 6-2 in the first game, but surrendered the game’s lone run in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI ground out. Pella Christian had opportunities to even the score throughout the opener, but stranded nine baserunners in the loss. In the nightcap, the Eagles flipped the script, scoring five runs across the first two innings, before adding single runs in the fifth and sixth to secure the win. Chloe Snyder led the offense in the two games, going a combined 5-7 at the plate with two RBIs and a run scored. Laurel Roozeboom suffered the complete game loss in the opener, allowing just one run on two hits and three walks while striking out two. Maddy Van Zee also pitched a complete game to record the shutout win in the nightcap, striking out two while giving up just five hits and two walks. The split pushed the Eagles record to 8-14 overall and 4-12 in conference play.
The Pella Christian baseball team needed eight innings to determine the game one winner, but fell 9-8, before bouncing back to win the second game 8-5. The Eagles and Indians were knotted up at 2-2 after the first two innings in the opener, before each team scored six runs in the third through the sixth innings and posted a scoreless seventh to send the game to extras, where Oskaloosa walked it off with an RBI sacrifice fly. In the nightcap, the Indians jumped out to a 1-0 lead after the first inning, but that was the only time Pella Christian trailed. The Eagles responded with three runs in the second, one in the fourth, three in the fifth, and one in the seventh, while the Indians managed just a pair of runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings, giving P.C. the 8-5 win. Brecken Ritzert, Ben Van Wyngarden, and Logan Gallaher all had multi-hit games in the doubleheader, with Gallaher going 2-4 with an RBI in the first game. Van Wyngarden went 2-2 in the second game with three runs scored and a walk, while Ritzert went 2-5 with two RBIs and a run scored. Blake Gallaher suffered the game one loss while striking out two in two innings of relief, surrendering just one run on two hits and two walks. Grant Kelderman dominated in his start in game two, recording the win after striking out 12 in five innings and allowing just one earned run on two hits and two walks. Pella Christian moved to 7-19 overall and 2-14 in the conference with the split.
Both Eagles summer sports teams return to action on the road at PCM tonight, with the softball game starting at 7:15 pm and the baseball game beginning at 7:30 pm.