The Oskaloosa softball team battled gamely, but ultimately fell to a very underrated Pella Christian team on the road Wednesday night, 6-5.
The game got off to a hot offensive start despite the game featuring two of the state’s most decorated pitchers.
Osky scratched across a run in the top of the first off senior Emma Schnell on an Aubrey Miller RBI double. PC came right back in the bottom half of the first, plating five runs off of Alexis Groet. The highlights were a three-run homer by Elizabeth Van Manen and a two-run single by Ivy Terpstra.
Groet would settle in and post five consecutive scoreless innings with the help of some fantastic defense, namely by Ashley Kindley in right field and Ava VandeWall at first base.
After Kindley scored on a Josie Bunnell sacrifice fly in the 3rd, Osky came up with three in the top of the 6th to tie the game. VandeWall would smack a two-run homer after a Bunnell lead-off single to bring the Indians within one. Aubrey Miller would follow with a double, then was sacrified to third by Taylor Wills. After a Meghan Moorman fly-out to left, Schnell uncorked a wild pitch, allowing the tying run to score.
Groet and Schnell would quickly retire the side in the bottom of the 6th and the top of the 7th, respectively. PC would send Elizabeth Van Manen to the plate once again to lead off the bottom of the 7th. On a 2-2 pitch, Van Manen crushed a ball over the centerfield wall for a walk-off solo homer, her second of the night and 6th of the season.
With the loss, Osky falls to 13-7 overall on the year and 4-6 in the Little Hawkeye Conference. Pella Christian improves to 13-2 overall and continues to lead the LHC with a 7-1 conference mark. The two teams will play again next Thursday in a doubleheader in Oskaloosa.
Oskaloosa will face Grinnell on Friday in a conference doubleheader on the road. First pitch is schedule for 6 PM.
The next summer sports broadcast on the No Coast Network is Friday night in Grinnell as the Oskaloosa baseball team looks to get the season sweep with a doubleheader against the Tigers. First pitch is scheduled for5:30 PM, and the broadcast will begin at 5:15 on 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN, radiokmzn.com, and KMZN mobile app.
