The Dutch, ranked second in Class 3A, defeated the Dallas Center-Grimes 13–12 on Monday after an exciting eight innings of play.
Pella would allow four runs in the bottom of the first inning after opening it with a solo home run from Isaiah Kettler and adding another in the top of the second. Hayes Lautenbach blasted another Dutch home slam in the top of the third inning, but it was preceded by a barrage of DCG runs, giving the home team a 10-3 advantage after the first nine outs for each school.
The Dutch responded with seven runs in a row, including a six-run top of the seventh to square the score at 10 runs apiece, but they didn’t roll over. The road team was under pressure to react when the Mustangs answered with another run in the bottom of the sixth. On a DCG error in the beginning of the 7th inning with two outs, the Dutch scored the tying run. After Pella maintained serve, Lautenbach gave the Dutch a two-run lead in the top of the eighth inning with his second home run of the evening. Hayes held on despite the winning run reaching base with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning after DCG mounted a rally.
Thunderstorms have caused the doubleheader’s second game to be postponed. Kettler’s two-for-two and three-walk effort and Lautenbach’s three-for-four performance, which won him the save on the mound in the eighth inning, led the Dutch. Pella returns to action on Wednesday against Newton at home, improving to 15-4 overall and 9-3 in the conference.
Pella’s softball girls lost their lone game, 17-0, against #5 in 4A Dallas Center-Grimes after being thrashed in four innings. Game two terminated due to bad weather after they fell behind 8-0 in the top of the fourth inning. The Dutch girls fall to 6-6 in the league and 8-8 overall. Pella will play again this evening against Knoxville at home. On 92.1 KRLS, coverage will start at 6:30 p.m.
