SIOUX CITY — It wasn’t a typical Pella baseball type of game but the second-seeded Dutch found a way to win behind some offensive firepower in Monday night’s Class 3A State Quarterfinal at Lewis and Clark Park in Sioux City. While their defense and pitching wasn’t quite up to their usual standard, Pella used nine hits and drew five walks on their way to a 12-5 victory over No. 7 Sergeant Bluff-Luton to capture their first state tournament win since 2016.

“I’m just proud of the team,” Pella head coach Jesse Jablonski said. “We fell behind early again but this team has shown throughout the year that they’re comfortable playing in that position and they don’t let it bother them. We found a different way to win a ball game tonight. Normally we’re more pitching and defense oriented, but to get a 12 spot in the first round of the of the state tournament is a lot of fun. We had production from the top to the bottom in the lineup.”

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Colin Peters can be reached at 641-672-2581, by email at cpeters@oskyherald.com or on Twitter @ColinPetersOH.