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FORT DODGE — Whether it was Cedar Rapids Xavier’s record, ranking or star pitcher, the Pella Dutch showed no fear.
“We weren’t going to be afraid,” Pella pitcher Emma Eekhoff said.
“We came in here with no pressure. We didn’t have any nerves. We were just going to go out and do our thing.”
Eekhoff prevailed in a pitchers’ duel with Cedar Rapids Xavier ace Braylen Conlon, and unranked Pella upset the top-ranked Saints, 5-1, in a Class 4A quarterfinal at the state softball tournament Monday morning at the Rogers Sports Complex.
“They have a good pitcher. We have a good pitcher,” Xavier’s Carley Jonker said. “The timely hits didn’t go our way today.”
Pella (23-12) advances to face No. 5 Adel ADM (28-8) in a 4A semifinal at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
ADM outlasted No. 4 Dallas Center-Grimes, 4-1, in nine innings.
“I’m so excited to be playing Wednesday and Thursday,” Eekhoff said.
Eekhoff (16-8) limited the Saints (37-6) to three hits — none in the first six innings.
“They had good pitch-calling,” Xavier catcher Katie Pilcher said. “Her change was good. We put it in play, but … ”
“I trusted my stuff, trusted my spin,” Eekhoff said. “I was trying to roll it over.”
Eekhoff’s counterpart, Conlon (26-1) was perfect through 3 2/3 innings and didn’t surrender a hit through 5 1/3.
But Eekhoff broke the ice with a double to deep centerfield, and that started a game-breaking string of six straight baserunners.
With the bases loaded, Lucy Carlson drove in the first run on a ground ball. Elah Hiemstra singled home two more, then Abby Melvin made it 4-0 with another single.
“The ball started to go down the middle for me,” said Conlon, who flipped her college commitment last week from Western Kentucky to Iowa.
“They took advantage like a good team should.”
Conlon struck out 13 and walked three (one intentionally).
Eekhoff homered in the seventh to make it 5-0.
Maddyn Gates, Jonker and Claire Walter opened the bottom of the seventh with three consecutive singles. Jaselle Lang’s grounder drove in the Saints’ lone run.
Xavier will face Dallas Center-Grimes (33-8) in a consolation game at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
“I’m thankful that we have one more game together,” Jonker said. “This is where we wanted our season to end, and we have no regrets.”
Pella 5, Cedar Rapids Xavier 1
Class 4A State Quarterfinal, at Fort Dodge
Pella 000 004 1 — 5 5 2
C.R. Xavier 000 000 1 — 1 3 0
Emma Eekhoff and Lucy Carlson. Braylen Conlon and Katie Pilcher. W — Eekhoff (16-8). L — Conlon (26-1). HR — Pella: Eekhoff (13).
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