The Norwalk baseball and softball teams opened the 2026 season with road games on Monday night, losing to Urbandale and Southeast Polk, respectively.
The Warrior baseball team dropped a 5-3 decision against the J-Hawks before Game 2 of the scheduled doubleheader was rained out. Norwalk took a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth on Aidan Walter’s two-RBI single, but Urbandale responded in the bottom of the inning as Gabe Blanshan connected for his second home run of the game, a go-ahead three-run shot.
Walter and Rhylee Schmidt both had two hits for the Warriors, Colton Moore hit a double and Brady Wilkening added a single and a walk. Ashton Hans pitched the first four innings for Norwalk, allowing three hits and only one earned run. Kingston Lamb took the loss in relief. The Warriors return to action on Thursday night at Boone. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m.
On the softball diamond, No. 7 in Class 4A Norwalk was defeated 9-1 in five innings by No. 4 in Class 5A Southeast Polk. Three Warrior errors proved costly as the Rams built a 9-0 lead after three. Southeast Polk junior Karter Price pitched a two-hitter and helped her own cause with a home run, a double and five RBI.
Dani Peters doubled and scored Norwalk’s only run while Molly Harper singled and drove in a run. Leah Crick and Hadley Michael split the pitching duties. Crick allowed all nine runs in 2 ⅔ innings, but only four were earned.
The Warriors won 34 games last season and made the program’s fourth consecutive trip to the State Softball Tournament. They will face another tough non-conference foe on Wednesday night, playing at No. 2 in Class 5A Ankeny Centennial. First pitch is at 7:00 p.m.
