The Norwalk softball team finished the season by defeating their top rival on Tuesday afternoon, outlasting Dallas Center-Grimes 3-1 in a Class 4A state tournament consolation game at Fort Dodge. The game was heard live on 94.3 KNIA and the KNIA3 stream.

Warrior senior Olivia Dougherty pitched a gem in her final high school outing, striking out 10 Mustangs in 5 ⅓ innings. Dougherty allowed five hits and issued just one walk, improving her record to 14-2. Carly Brewer escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth and recorded the final five outs for her fourth save.

The third-seeded Warriors and second-seeded DC-G – co-champions of the Little Hawkeye Conference – had hoped to meet in the 4A semifinals, but were defeated by North Scott and Carlisle, respectively, in Monday’s quarterfinal round. Dougherty, one of six Norwalk seniors, tells KNIA Sports that it was easier to get motivated for a consolation game knowing the opponent was DC-G. The Mustangs took two out of three games from Norwalk during the regular season.

“It was hard waking up this morning after a loss and having to pull ourselves together, but we did it and we focused and we got the job done,” Dougherty said. “Coming into it, we know DC-G is a good team. They know us, we know them. They know what we throw, and we knew we had to lock in, we had to focus, and I think that made it just 10 times better. It’s a lot nicer beating DC-G than anybody else in the state.”

Norwalk senior Jaylynn Brandt led off the fourth inning with a double and scored on Lauren Black’s game-tying sacrifice fly. One inning later, a two-base throwing error on Nyah Hulbert’s infield single allowed Jada Livingston and Bailey Birmingham to score the go-ahead runs. Hulbert finished 2-for-4 on the day.

Defensively, Black threw out three Mustangs attempting to steal second base. Birmingham applied the tag each time and also recorded the final out of the game, tagging out pinch-runner Jenna Morrison, who was caught in a pickle following Lydia Zaruba’s two-out infield single in the bottom of the seventh.

Norwalk finishes the season with a 30-8 overall record, achieving the program’s third straight 30-win season. DC-G finishes 32-10.