The Indianola softball team dominated Norwalk in a doubleheader winning both games 6-0 and 10-3 respectively, while the Indianola baseball squad earned a split with a 3-2 win and a 6-1 defeat heard live on 94.3 KNIA.
The Indians baseball team got up early 3-0 in the first inning of game one off of a Gabe Zwanziger 2-RBI single and an Ethan Ellsworth RBI hit, then held off a charging Norwalk squad who scored a run in each of the 4th and 6th innings to get the lead down to one. Tyce Johnson went six strong innings giving up just the two runs to earn the win, while Matt McKnight came in for the 7th to pick up his second save of the season.
Game two saw the Indians get ahead early again with a Kael Kolarik sacrifice fly, but that would be all the Indians offense could muster. Norwalk dropped four in the third and another two in the sixth to get the split as Indians pitchers walked 9 Warriors batters. Head coach Casey Aldridge tells KNIA Sports the performance from Johnson in game one is exactly what they expect from their standout senior.
“Tyce is our guy, and we knew that. After last night he pulled us aside and said he was going 110 (pitches), you keep me in there until he couldn’t go anymore. And we did do that. He’s gonna be our guy, so it was good to see him go out there and compete with another good pitcher from Norwalk, so we are pretty happy with that performance.”
Leadoff hitter Will Young went 4-4 with two doubles in the loss. The Indians are now 2-2 on the season, and take today off while traveling to ADM on Friday.
The Indians softball team stayed unblemished to start their season in a two-game shellacking of the Warriors, getting ahead early and staying ahead in both games. Game one saw the Indians score a run in the 2nd and 3rd innings with smart baserunning and taking advantage of Norwalk mistakes, then punished the Warriors in the 4th with an RBI double from Alley May to take a 5-0 lead. Pitcher Kate Kralik struck out 10 earning the win.
Game two saw Macie Mays hit an RBI single to take a 1-0 lead in the first, then scored 6 in the 3rd with an RBI hit from Destiny Lewis, and another from Mays, then took advantage of Norwalk mistakes to garner a 7-0 advantage. The Indians and Warriors then traded runs late, but the lead was too large to overcome. Kylee Tucker picked up the win in the circle for the Indians, who improve to 3-0 on the season.
They will next play Pella tonight, and the game can be heard live on 94.3 KNIA. Andrew Swadner will have the play-by-play, with pregame coverage beginning at 7pm, and first pitch scheduled for 7:15pm.