Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Charlotta Brown of Wilton celebrates a home run with her teammates against Pella Christian on Monday afternoon at Rogers Park. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

An early deficit only served to spark Wilton, as the Beavers posted a 7-2 victory over upset-minded Pella Christian here Monday at Rogers Park.

With the win, top-ranked Wilton (29-3 overall) advances to the Class 2A semifinals and a date with Earlham on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. on Iowa Central Field.

Charlotte Brown, the No. 9 hitter for the Beavers, launched a solo home run in the second to break a 2-2 tie, and Wilton added two more runs in the fourth.

“It was great,” Brown said. “Before the game, (a grandmother of a player) gave me a hug and said ‘you are going to hit a home run.’ So this one was for her.”

In the fifth, Wilton’s defense turned an inning-ending double play when centerfielder Payton Ganzer made a perfect throw to home to stop the runner. After catcher Hayley Madlock applied the tag, she fired the ball to Alexis Walker, who tagged another runner out.

“We did a great job of hitting the ball up and down the lineup,” Brown said. “Sometimes, the top of our lineup isn’t hitting and sometimes it is the bottom part. But (Monday), we all were hitting.”

Wilton put the contest out of reach in the sixth with two more runs. Payton Souhrada finished 3-for-3 with three RBI and a run, Taylor Drayfahl and Chloe Wells each added an RBI, Wells had three hits and both Drayfahl and Ganzer had two.

“We knew this wouldn’t be like a regular season game,” Brown said. “But we had some trouble early on. Once we got that on track, we played better.”

Pella Christian, who entered state with just a 17-18 record while competing in the stacked Little Hawkeye Conference, got a two-RBI double from Natalie Harrill in the first.

The Eagles are making their first appearance at Rogers Park since 1990 when head coach Karen Harrill was a starting catcher. A one-tournament field at that time, Pella Christian placed 10th after finishing fifth the year before.

Pella Christian will face North Union in the consolation round on Tuesday at 1 p.m. on Dodger Field.

WILTON 7, PELLA CHRISTIAN 2

Pella Christian 200 000 0 — 2 5 1

Wilton 210 202 x — 7 15 3

Alexa Dunsbergen (L, 14-11, 6 IP, 15 H, 7 ER, 1 K, 1 BB) and Sydney Nunnikhoven; Mila Johnson (W, 15-1, 4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 4 K, 2 BB), Grace Madlock (S 4, 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 K, 1 BB) and Emily Coss, Hayley Madlock (5).

2B–PC: Natalie Harrill; W: Taylor Drayfahl, Chloe Wells. HR–W: Charlotte Brown. RBI–PC: Natalie Harrill (2); W: Peyton Souhrada (3), Chloe Wells, Charlotte Brown, Taylor Drayfahl, Payton Ganzer.