The Oskaloosa baseball team moved closer to cinching up home-field advantage with a split against archrival Pella on the road Monday night.

Both games featured great pitching and top level defense and both final scores were just 2-1. Oskaloosa would come-from-behind to win the first game while Pella would hold on to win the second.

Game One would feature Pella scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning on just two hits. Tyler Hillman would single and that was followed by an RBI double in the right-centerfield gap by Jaden Rolffs. Starting pitcher Ben Akers did great work on the mound for Pella, but as the innings wore on, Osky would figure him out.

The Indians would threaten in the 6^th, but would not score after an amazing catch by Avery Van Zee in centerfield robbed Blake VanVeldhuizen and Tyler Miller was doubled off third. In the 7^th, however, Osky got three men on with singles to load up the bases. Seth Sarver would be hit by a pitch to tie the game and Tyler Miller would hit a sacrifice fly to center to give Osky the lead.

Nick Harrington would finish his complete game by striking out the side to give Oskaloosa the season series win over the Dutch.

In Game Two, Pella again would score first, but they would ride their ace Tyler Hillman to hold on to the lead. With Osky down 2-0 in the 7^th, the Indians again would put runners on after a double by Ethan Arnold and a walk to Nick Harrington. Arnold’s runner, Tanner DeKock, would score on a wild pitch during Harrington’s at bat.

Hillman was at 90 pitches, and he was pulled with one out left to get. That move will allow him to pitch on Friday against Grinnell if need be. Joel Ruiter came on and with only one pitch, he’d notch the save to give Pella the win to salvage at least a third of the season series.

Oskaloosa is now 19-10 on the year and 13-5 in the Little Hawkeye Conference. Pella is 14-12 overall and 9-9 in the LHC. Oskaloosa needs one more win before July 1^st to clinch home-field advantage throughout the district rounds.

The next obstacle for the Indians is non-conference foe Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont for a single varsity game. First pitch for the varsity is scheduled for 7:30 PM in Eddyville.