DES MOINES - Dennis Olejniczak walked out of a hospital.

His players refused to take a step back.

It's the way the coach lives and the Vikings play.

Decorah did not win its first-round game in the Class 3A portion of the state baseball tournament Tuesday at Principal Park. Norwalk, thanks largely to star left-hander Matt Dermody, warded off the Vikings, 4-1.

Yet Olejniczak felt his team handled it all - his health problems and a pitcher who's been drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates - as well as it could.

"Other than a couple of defensive breakdowns and three different times in three different innings where we couldn't come up with a timely hit, we played toe-to-toe all the way," said Olejniczak, who concluded his 46th season as Decorah's head coach Tuesday.

"I'm very proud. This team is not one of our high-level, Decorah High School baseball teams. But it's really a bunch of good kids that really like baseball and really listened from the mid-game point of the season."

On the field, the Vikings recovered from a slow start to reach the state tournament for the 10th time in Olejniczak's tenure. As for the head coach himself, he had to make a quick rally from a far more serious problem.

Sunday, Olejniczak was hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat. Assistant coach Mike Tangen and Decorah athletic director Adam Riley ran practice.

By Monday, Olejniczak was out of bed and on a bus headed for Des Moines.

"We always expected him," said Viking senior outfielder Andy Sacquitne. "You know Coach O - tough as nails. He never wants to miss anything. He would be out of that hospital, no matter what."

At Principal Park, Olejniczak said "I feel fine." He made one concession to his doctors. He did not take infield.

"I just tried to coach from the bench and be the way I am," said Olejniczak.

Meanwhile, the Vikings battled Norwalk ace Dermody, a 26th-round draft choice of Pittsburgh and an Iowa recruit.

Decorah collected eight hits against the tall left-hander and tied the game in the second inning on Tyler Smith's RBI base hit. When the Vikings got a chance to build a big inning, though, Dermody wouldn't yield.

In the bottom of the fifth, Decorah loaded the bases with none out and Norwalk on top, 3-1. Owner of a curve and a mid-80s fastball, Dermody then struck out the next two Vikings swinging. The final batter went down looking. End of threat.

"We fought hard," said Smith. "We knew it would be tough with this pitcher. But we fought hard and we hit the ball hard. We just didn't have all our timely hits, and errors kind of killed us today."

Smith went the distance on the mound for Decorah, giving up a mere five hits. The junior right-hander walked two and hit three.

The Viking defense also committed three errors, One miscue helped Norwalk score its first run of the day.

A hit batter and a walk set the table for the Warriors to take the lead in the fourth. Catcher Chase Breeser, a .206 hitter on the year, blooped a two-out single to left-center field, scoring two runs.

From there, Norwalk added an insurance run in the seventh and rode Dermody's left arm to a berth in the 3A semifinals opposite top-seeded Boone.

Olejniczak and players moved on. The coach faces a series of medical tests when he returns home.

He also intends to return to the Decorah dugout for a 47th season.

"I wouldn't have signed that contract if I didn't," said Olejniczak.

His players fully expect him to keep that appointment.

"He'll be back next year - promise," said Tyler Smith.

Norwalk 001 200 10 - 4 5 4

Decorah 001 000 0 - 1 8 3

Matt Dermody and Chase Breeser; Tyler Smith and Blake Moen. WP: - Dermody (8-4); LP - Smith (8-5).

2B - Smith (D), Andy Sacquitne (D). 3B - Sacquitne (D). Multiple hits - Breeser (N) 2, Robbie Jewell (D) 2, Sacqutine (D) 2. Multiple RBIs - Breeser (N) 2.