Two of the best softball teams in the state of Iowa waged battle for five hours in Norwalk Thursday night, ultimately splitting a doubleheader and remaining tied for first in the Little Hawkeye Conference. Class 4A fourth-ranked Dallas Center-Grimes won the first game 3-1 and 4A fifth-ranked Norwalk won game two 9-8 in a wild eight-inning affair streamed live on KNIA3.
Both teams are now 14-3 in conference play with four league games remaining. Sixth-ranked Indianola is 12-3 in the LHC and will play at DC-G on Monday night.
Norwalk coach Beau Livingston says that Thursday’s two games were fun to be a part of and a display of “top-notch” softball. The Warriors found a way to win the nightcap despite being outhit 14-10 and allowing three DC-G home runs and four doubles. Livingston tells KNIA-KRLS Sports that he loves his team’s competitive spirit, and will go to battle with them any place, any time.
“This was the vision two years ago when I took the job. I wanted a culture of competitive girls that aren’t going to back down, aren’t going to take no for an answer… and we’ve arrived,” Livingston said. “Tonight is a big step for us. Just the way we won, how we won… it’s a pretty special night for me.”
Dallas Center-Grimes junior Aubrey Johansen pitched a three-hitter in game one and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the win. The Mustangs scored all three of their runs in the third inning on run-scoring hits by Reese Burke and Addison Lyddon.
Game two was a barn burner from start to finish. Norwalk led 3-1 early, then rallied back from deficits of 6-3 and 8-6. Nyah Hulbert’s RBI double tied the score in the sixth. Two innings later, Jada Livingston’s one-out double ignited the game-winning rally, and with the bases loaded and one out Livingston slid home safely on Jaylynn Brandt’s ground ball to shortstop.
Warrior sophomore Bailey Birmingham, who had five hits in the doubleheader, went 3-for-3 in game two with an RBI triple and a sacrifice fly. Hulbert and Addi Downe both had two hits while shortstop Kaylee Cary played excellent defense and scored three runs, leading off three multi-run innings by getting on base.
Norwalk senior pitcher Zadie Wadle, who took the loss in game one, relieved Olivia Dougherty in the nightcap and worked 3 ⅔ innings for the win. She allowed just one run and retired the final eight Mustang batters.
Macee Reiling, Summer Campbell and Bella Mulder all homered for DC-G in game two and Reiling also hit an RBI double. Eighth-grader Tessa Jones relieved Mustang starter Camila Rodriguez in the second inning and pitched the rest of the game.
Norwalk will be back in action today, hosting Class 5A sixth-ranked West Des Moines Valley at 5:30. The Warrior baseball team hosts their doubleheader with DC-G today, also at 5:30.