The Norwalk and Carlisle softball teams met for a regular season game on July 5, but were rained out after two scoreless innings. The neighboring rivals will try again Monday in Fort Dodge with much more at stake.

The fourth-ranked Warriors and fifth-ranked Wildcats will face off in Monday’s quarterfinal round of the Class 4A State Softball Tournament at Harlan Rogers Sports Complex. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 3:15 on FM 94.3 KNIA.

Norwalk brings a 29-7 overall record to its first state tourney appearance in eight years and is the runner-up team from the Little Hawkeye Conference. Carlisle, meanwhile, is playing at state for the 13th time in the last 15 years and was the 4A champion in 2019. The Wildcats take a 27-10 record to Fort Dodge and placed third in the Raccoon River Conference.

A quick statistical breakdown of the two squads shows Carlisle with a .356 team batting average, 99 walks, 12 home runs and 236 runs scored. Norwalk, which played one less game, sports a .309 batting average with 98 walks, 16 homers and 210 runs scored.

The most gaudy stat on either side is the Wildcats’ 181 stolen bases, which leads all of Class 4A. Five Carlisle players have swiped at least 20 bags on the year, led by Reagan Rolling’s 33 steals in 34 attempts.

In the pitching department, no team in Class 4A notched more strikeouts this season than Norwalk’s 335. Junior ace Zadie Wadle leads the Warrior staff with 205 Ks in 127 innings while walking just 25 batters. Wadle is 18-4 with three saves and a 1.54 ERA.

Freshman Logan Brown and sophomore Addesyn Abel have been splitting the pitching duties for Carlisle. Brown leads the staff with a 15-2 record, a 2.12 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 115 ⅔ innings.

The batting average leaders for each team include Norwalk’s Nyah Hulbert (.483), Kady Vandemark (.393) and Jaylynn Brandt (.337). Carlisle is led by Rolling at .477, Isabelle Noring (.458) and Laney Schick (.446). Noring has six home runs, 39 RBI and 44 runs scored.

Monday’s winner will advance to the semifinal round on Wednesday and face either top-seeded Winterset or eighth-seeded Burlington at 11:30 a.m. The losing team will finish their state tournament stay on Tuesday with a consolation game at 1:00 p.m.