Highlighted by a combined no-hitter from junior Ian Fisher and sophomore CJ Davis, the Norwalk baseball and softball teams both stayed hot Monday night with Little Hawkeye Conference doubleheader sweeps at Newton.
The Warrior baseball team defeated the Cardinals by scores of 3-1 and 6-0, starting with a three-run rally in the top of the seventh inning to take game one. Cody Hargin got things started in the seventh with a hit-by-pitch, Fisher singled and Jackson Campbell’s sacrifice bunt moved both players up 90 feet. Davis followed with a go-ahead two-run double and Dylan Christensen singled to make it 3-1.
Senior Vinny Mauro took care of the rest, completing an efficient 79-pitch, five-hitter in the bottom of the seventh. Mauro issued zero walks, hit one batter and struck out 10 Cardinals.
Game two of the baseball twin bill saw Fisher and Davis combine efforts on the Warriors’ first no-hitter of the year. Fisher, now 3-0, struck out nine in six scoreless frames before Davis worked the seventh. Tucker Beving went 2-for-2 at the plate and scored three runs for Norwalk while Davis singled, stole a base and scored twice as the Warriors won their fifth straight overall.
The 13th-ranked Norwalk softball team, meanwhile, has won eight in a row following Monday’s 8-0 and 2-0 league wins over the Cardinals.
Junior Zadie Wadle pitched a three-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts in game one and was one of five Warriors with at least two hits. Nyah Hulbert led the offensive attack with three hits, Kaylee Cary had two hits and three RBI and Taylor Condon and Jaylynn Brandt added two hits as well.
Norwalk catcher Lauren Black’s second home run of the season – a two-run shot in the fourth – provided the only runs of the night cap. Sophomore Addi Downe struck out a dozen Cardinals in six and ⅓ innings before Wadle notched the last two outs for her first save.
Both Norwalk squads will return to the home diamonds tonight for non-conference games. The Warrior softball team, now 9-1 overall and 6-0 in the Little Hawkeye, will face Boone at 7:00 p.m. The Warrior baseball team, now 11-5 overall and 4-2 in conference play, will host North Polk at 7:30 in a game that can be heard live on 94.3 KNIA. The pregame show will start at approximately 7:15.