Norwalk took three out of four games vs. Grinnell Friday night, including a doubleheader sweep by the Warrior softball team and a thrilling 2-1 Warrior win in game two of a baseball split at Norwalk.
Ranked fourth in the latest Class 4A state softball rankings, Norwalk defeated the Tigers 5-3 in game one and 9-0 in the night cap using a six-run sixth inning. Jaylynn Brandt had three hits and three RBI in the first game, including a triple, while Grace Dehmer went 3-for-3 with a double and three runs scored. Taylor Condon finished game two with two hits, two runs and two RBI and Savannah Welch also had two hits.
Norwalk’s Addi Downe struck out 10 Tiger batters in game one, pitching 6 ⅓ innings before Zadie Wadle retired the last two batters for the save. Wadle hurled a two-hit shutout in game two, striking out 14 and walking one as the Warriors capped a 7-0 week on the diamond.
In Friday’s baseball twin bill, Grinnell beat Norwalk 4-1 in the first game before the Warriors held off the second-ranked (Class 3A) Tigers 2-1 in game two behind six scoreless innings from junior pitcher Ian Fisher.
DJ Harris put Norwalk on top with a two-out RBI single in the third inning – scoring Emerson Fels – and Vinny Mauro’s RBI double plated Tucker Beving in the fifth to make it 2-0.
Fisher (6-1) struck out eight and allowed four hits in his second high-quality outing of the week, backing up Monday’s five-inning perfect game at Oskaloosa. Beving allowed a two-out run in the seventh but was able to close out his third save of the year.
Norwalk handed Grinnell just its third loss of the season in 30 games and Fisher called it a confidence-boosting win for the Warriors.
“Even though (Grinnell is in Class 3A), they’re still really good competition and I feel like we can just keep building it up before we start (substate play),” said Fisher, who credits good fastball command and a solid defense for his success.
“[I’m] just keeping it calm and doing what I know I can do,” he said. “Trusting my stuff and then just trusting the people behind me.”
The Warrior baseball team enters the weekend at 15-15 overall and 8-10 in the Little Hawkeye Conference going into Monday night’s game at Dallas Center-Grimes.
The Norwalk softball team is now 24-4 overall and 17-1 in the Little Hawkeye. The Warriors will play a huge game at sixth-ranked Dallas Center-Grimes Monday night, with the winner taking over sole possession of first place in the conference standings. The game will be broadcast live on FM 94.3 KNIA, with pregame coverage starting at approximately 7:15 p.m.