It was a great night to be a Norwalk Warrior in Dallas Center.
The Norwalk baseball team picked up its best win of the season on Wednesday, riding a complete game four-hitter from Aidan Harder to knock off the Class 4A sixth-ranked Mustangs 6-1. In a game heard live on kniakrls.com (KNIA3), the third-ranked Warrior softball team also rose to the occasion, posting a pair of crooked numbers to take down top-ranked Dallas Center-Grimes 8-2.
Norwalk trailed 2-0 after three innings on the softball diamond, then plated five runs in the fourth and three more in the sixth to take control. Warrior senior pitcher Zadie Wadle escaped a pair of bases-loaded jams along the way. First baseman Addie Downe ended the third with a diving stop of a ground ball right at the bag and Wadle struck out Macee Reiling with the bags full to end the fifth.
Norwalk coach Beau Livingston was proud of his team’s performance in all facets of the game – from a great approach at the plate against DC-G ace Aubrey Johansen to Wadle’s mental toughness in the circle to some run-saving plays in the field.
“The energy tonight was fun,” Livingston said. “It felt like a state tournament softball game with two really, really good teams. I’m sure they’ll be excited to come see us in Norwalk here in a few weeks.”
Two nights after losing both ends of a home doubleheader vs. fifth-ranked Indianola, the Warriors have responded with two straight wins to improve to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the Little Hawkeye Conference. DC-G is now 9-3 and 5-1, respectively.
Norwalk batted around in the fourth, scoring four runs on six hits. Lauren Black opened the inning with a double while Nyah Hulbert and Jaylynn Brandt drove in the final three runs with doubles as well. The sixth inning featured a line-shot RBI single by Adeleine Fisher in her first varsity at-bat and a two-run triple by Maddie Gullion.
Hulbert, Brandt and Gullion all had two hits and combined to drive in five runs from the top of the lineup. Wadle pitched five-plus innings for the win, allowing seven hits and two earned runs, issuing just one walk (an intentional pass to Johansen) and striking out five. Olivia Dougherty tossed two hitless innings of relief with two Ks. The Warriors visit Urbandale tonight for a varsity doubleheader.
Baseball team wins 6-1
The Warrior baseball team posted back-to-back three-run innings in the fifth and the sixth to beat DC-G 6-1. Payton Nichols and Harder both had two-hit games for Norwalk, with Nichols scoring two runs. Cole Wardlow added a double. Harder took care of the rest on the mound, holding the Mustangs to just four hits He walked two, hit two batters and struck out a pair.
The Warriors improved to 4-10 overall and 2-4 in the Little Hawkeye Conference. They will play a varsity doubleheader at Grinnell on Friday.