Sophomore Addie Downe belted a pair of home runs and pitched 5 ⅓ innings for the win Monday night, leading Norwalk past Pella Christian 9-5 in Little Hawkeye Conference softball action.
Downe, who singled, stole a base and scored during the Warriors’ two-run second inning, led off the fourth with a solo home run and blasted a three-run shot off the left field foul pole an inning later to give Norwalk a commanding 8-1 lead.
Pella Christian plated four runs in the top of the sixth, including Brynn Rozeboom’s RBI double, to get back in the game, but Warrior sophomore Olivia Dougherty slammed the door shut with 1 ⅔ effective relief frames, striking out four of the eight batters she faced.
Downe, who settled down after a rocky start to hold the Eagles scoreless for four straight innings, allowed nine hits and just two earned runs while striking out seven. She finished 3-for-3 at the plate with two bombs, three runs scored and four RBI.
Norwalk head coach Beau Livingston was pleased with his squad’s 14-hit attack, which included four hits in each of the first two innings and seven extra-base hits overall. Morgan Weeks, Kaylee Cary and Maddie Gullian (two doubles) added two hits each to back up Downe’s three hits and nine total bases.
“I thought it was pretty balanced up and down the lineup,” Livingston said. “We have spent a ton of time in the weight room this off-season, and you never know how it’s going to go. We thought it would transform into many more extra-base hits than what they’ve had here recently, so it was really good to get that feedback tonight and hopefully the girls see that, understand it and continue to buy into doing those things.”
Leadoff batter Emri Agre led Pella Christian at the plate with two doubles and a single and cleanup hitter Natalie Harrill belted a pair of doubles as well.
The visiting Eagles grabbed a brief 1-0 lead in the top of the first before Norwalk scored eight unanswered runs in the season opener for both squads. Alexa Dunsbergen took the loss for Pella Christian, allowing 14 hits and eight runs in 4 ⅓ innings.
Norwalk returns to action Tuesday night with another home game against Southeast Warren while Pella Christian is set to play at Pleasantville on Wednesday night.