Seniors Kady Vandemark and Morgan Weeks both hit their first home run of the season in game one while Zadie Wadle and Addi Downe each pitched five strong innings Wednesday night as the Norwalk softball team swept a Little Hawkeye Conference doubleheader at Pella Christian. Norwalk won the first game 12-1 in five innings before taking the night cap 7-1 in a game broadcast by KNIA-KRLS.com

The Warriors, ranked fifth in Class 4A, won for the 14th time in their last 16 games and improved to 15-3 overall and 11-1 in conference play. The Eagles, ranked ninth in Class 2A, have now lost 10 straight in dropping to 5-14 overall and 1-11 in the Little Hawkeye.

Game one featured a Vandemark grand slam during Norwalk’s six-run fourth inning. Weeks also homered and Jaylynn Brandt had three hits for the Warriors. Natalie Harrill had a double for Pella Christian, which was held to four hits by Wadle. Norwalk’s ace pitcher improved her personal record to 10-2, striking out 10 batters in five frames.

The story of game two was Norwalk’s five-run outburst in the fifth inning, which turned a 2-1 contest into a comfortable margin for the Warriors. The inning began with a dropped third strike and was compounded by four Pella Christian errors. Lauren Black and Vandemark both singled during the fifth, Kaylee Cary hit a sacrifice fly and Weeks executed a perfect safety squeeze bunt to drive in a run.

Norwalk freshman Nyah Hulbert hit an RBI single in the third and finished 2-for-2. Black was also 2-for-2 with a double.

Downe, now 4-1 on the year, struck out six Eagles in five innings, allowing just three hits and two walks before Olivia Dougherty pitched the final two innings.

Harrill had a nice game at the plate for Pella Christian, blasting a solo home run in the fourth to make it 2-1 and later adding a single. Emri Agre and Claire Braafhart also singled for the host Eagles. Freshman Emma Eekhoff took the loss in the circle, battling hard through seven innings. She allowed seven hits and three earned runs, walking two and striking out three.

Following a rare night off today, Norwalk will host Pella on Friday night at 7:15 p.m. Pregame coverage on KNIA3 will begin at approximately 7:00 p.m.

Pella Christian, meanwhile, will try to get back on the winning track tonight when it hosts 10th-ranked (4A) Knoxville in a 7:15 game. Pregame coverage on KNIA FM 95.3 will get underway at approximately 6:45.