Pella Christian, for the second time in three years, was mere feet away from making it to the Class 2A state softball tournament for the first time in awhile. Their walk-off loss to Regina last Monday was painful to the still-young Eagles’ squad and their lone senior, Courtney Johannes. With a good majority of their bats back plus their ace pitcher returning for 2017, Coach Karen Harrill says it will be the work the girls do in the offseason and in clinics this winter that will set them up for success next year. Pella Christian will have eight seniors on the team next summer, and with that will bring loads of experience into the dugout for Harrill and the Eagles. They finished 21 – 8 and had five players make it to the all-Little Hawkeye Conference team.