The Pella Christian baseball team beat Class 2A #2 Pleasantville 3-2 on Tuesday night, as broadcast live on 92.1 KRLS, thanks to a rally in the sixth inning.
Before the Trojans scored in the fourth inning, the two Marion County baseball teams were tied scoreless after three innings of play. Logan Roff became the second batter hit by a pitch in the frame, plating Luke Vestal to give Pleasantville a 1-0 lead following two walks and a hit by pitch. Brayden Kennedy drew a lead-off walk, stole second base, and scored on an RBI single by pinch-hitter William Mesecher to give the Trojans a 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning. The Eagles eventually found their spark in the sixth inning after battling to muster any offensive momentum through the first five innings against Pleasantville starter Caylor Jones. Eliot Menninga walked to start the inning, and Josiah Vink singled to put runners on first and second following two strikeouts. Ben Van Wyngarden then hit a two-run double to left field to tie the game and keep the two-out rally going. After that, Logan Gallaher finished the rally by singling Van Wyngarden home to give Pella Christian the victory.
Vink went 2-3 with a run scored for the Eagles, making him the only player to earn multiple hits that evening. Braylon Bingham reached base twice with two walks, and JJ Phillips and Mesecher recorded the Trojans’ two singles. Gallaher pitched four relief innings, striking out three and giving up two runs on two hits to seal the victory for Pella Christian. With two strikeouts in the seventh inning, Grant Kelderman got the save. Caylor Jones gave up three runs on five hits in 5.2 innings of work and struck out ten in the Pleasantville defeat.
With the victory, the Eagles moved up to 6-18 overall, while the Trojans fell to 20-1. Pleasantville hosts Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont in a single game tonight at 7 p.m., while Pella Christian returns to action today at Oskaloosa for a Little Hawkeye Conference doubleheader at 5 p.m.
