Norwalk Takes Two Against The Indians
by Jamie Brockman
Monday night’s Little Hawkeye Conference softball doubleheader featured Oskaloosa, #5 ranked in Class 4A, hosting Norwalk, #14 ranked in 4A. Norwalk pulled two upsets sweeping the Indians winning game one 1-0 and the nightcap 8-4. Game one was a pitchers duel as Oskaloosa’s Hayle Hacker and Norwalk’s Haley Downe allowed a combined three hits and no runs through the fourth inning.
Norwalk started strong in the first inning loading the bases with no outs, but Hacker and the Indians defense got out of the inning with no runs allowed, then retired nine of the next 10 Warrior batters. Norwalk did the same retiring 12 Indians batters in a row from the 3rd through the sixth innings. The Warriors scored the games lone run in the top of the sixth inning off of two hits. Oskaloosa had two base runners in the bottom of the seventh but wasn’t able to push a run across as Norwalk got the 1-0 win. Hacker took the loss pitching seven innings, allowing one earned run on six hits while striking out nine and walking two. Haley Downe allowed only two hits while striking out 12 Indian batters and walked two.
The nightcap featured a lot more action as Norwalk earned the sweep with an 8-4 win. The Warriors scored two right off the bat on two hits and one Oskaloosa error. The Indians answered with three runs in the bottom of the first on three hits and a Norwalk error. Ashley Kindley smacked a one-out double, Ava Vandewall reached on an error, then both scored on a two-RBI single from Faith Deronde. Taylor Wills brought another run across the plate on an infield groundout. Osky added another run in the second on back to back to back hits from Meghan Moorman, Kindley and Vandewall giving the Indians a 4-2 lead.
Norwalk evened the score in the third inning on a two-RBI double from Maddy Zimmerman. Osky was limited to three hits, and no runs the rest of the way, while Norwalk scored the go-ahead run in the sixth making the most of a walk, an Osky error and an RBI single from Abigail Johnson. Norwalk took advantage of two Oskaloosa errors in the seventh and also tallied four hits, including two doubles to score three more runs and get the 8-4 win.
Faith Deronde suffered the loss pitching seven innings, allowing nine hits while striking out three, walking four and two hit by pitch. At the plate, Oskaloosa’s bats were better than the first game starting with seven hits in the first three innings, but only managed two additional hits the rest of the way. Ashley Kindley had a double and single, Deronde had two singles and two RBI, Meghan Moorman had a single as did Ava Vandewall, Hayle Hacker, Maddie Haines, and Taylor Wills. Oskaloosa is now 8-4 overall and 1-3 in LHC play and returns to action at home Tuesday hosting Grinnell.
