Published: July 07, 2008 02:59 pm            

Dutch sweep Osky in one-run thrillers

The Pella baseball team swept a double header from Oskaloosa Friday in two very exciting Little Hawkeye Conference baseball games at the Pella High field.

In each of the games the Little Dutch held substantial leads early in the game, lost the leads, and then came from behind to win.

In the opener the Dutch beat the Indians 13-12 and game two went eight innings before Pella won 10-9.

In game one, Oskaloosa jumped to an early 2-0 lead. Pella countered with one run in the first and six runs in the second to take a 7-2 lead.

Oskaloosa scored five runs in the third to tie the game.

Continuing with the back and forth theme, Pella responded with two in the third for a 9-7 advantage.

The Indians scored one in the fourth, and Pella followed with 2 in their half of the fourth to take a seemingly comfortable three run lead, 11-8.

In the fifth the Indians tied the game at 11.

After a scoreless sixth, Oskaloosa pushed the lead run across in the top of the seventh on a Garrett Luckett walk, an Alex West single, and a Dustin Rhoads single.

That set the stage for Pella's final rally in the bottom of the seventh. The first two Pella batters, Tyler Knight and Nate Klyn, were each hit by a pitch, and then advanced on a wild pitch.

After the first out of the inning on a strikeout, Chase Estabrook singled to right, driving Knight home with the tying run and Nate Klyn with the winning run.

Brock Pope was the starting pitcher for Pella, and was relieved by Andy Vander Broek in the fifth.

Brandon Estabrook, Chase Estabrook, Andy Vander Broek, Josh Hones and Brett Braafhart had two hits apiece for Pella, and Brock Pope had one hit.

Game two

The second game was equally as exciting. Pella scored three runs in the first and held the lead until the top of the fourth when the Indians scored two runs to close within one.

The Little Dutch scored three more in the fifth to take a 6-2 lead.

Brock Pope led off the inning with a double and went to third on a balk.

Brandon Estabrook then walked.

With Tyler Knight at bat, Pope scored on a wild pitch. After Knight made an out with a hard line drive to left field, Nate Klyn tripled Estabrook in, and then scored on an error by the Indians centerfielder to complete the scoring for the inning.

The Indians then scored six runs in the top of the sixth to take an 8-6 lead.

The Dutch cranked up the offense again, picking up two runs on a Josh Hones walk, a Brett Braafhart sacrifice bunt, a Brandon Estabrook single and an Oskaloosa error.

Oskaloosa regained the lead with one run in the top of the seventh.

Pella waited until two were out in the inning to tie the score. Josh Hones again walked to start the rally. Braafhart reached on an unsuccessful fielders choice. Brock Pope then singled, loading the bases, and was followed by Brandon Estabrook's single, which scored Hones.

Pella pitcher Ryan Sprunk, who had relieved starter Josh Van Ee in the middle of the Indians rally in the top of the seventh, breezed through Oskaloosa in the eighth.

Pella then put the winning run together as Nate Klyn opened the eighth with a walk. Klyn moved to second on an out and took third on Chase Estabrook's single.

Klyn then scored the winning run on a wild pitch. Pella starter Josh Van Ee pitched six innings plus before being relieved by Sprunk.

Brock Pope, Brandon Estabrook and Chase Estabrook had two hits apiece for Pella, while Tyler Knight, Nate Klyn and Caleb Parks had one hit each.

The two wins put the Pella mark at 3-20 overall and at 3-17 in the Little Hawkeye Conference.

        

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