BOONE - Stepping out of league play here Tuesday, the fourth-ranked (Class 4A) Fort Dodge baseball team didn't skip a beat in posting a 4-2 road victory over Boone.
Sophomore JC Hatcher went 3-for-3 offensively for the Dodgers (22-4 overall), while senior Will Gormally added two doubles.
With the game knotted at 1-1, FDSH plated three runs in the top of the sixth inning and held on from there. Run-scoring singles from Hatcher and Austin Halligan and a RBI two-bagger by Gormally helped lift the Dodgers to their 16th win in their past 17 outings.
"It was a hard-fought game," said Fort Dodge head coach Matt Elsbecker. "Boone did a lot of good things, and we did some good things, too. In the end, we just made some more big plays."
Keegan Gormally (1-0) earned the victory on the mound, holding the Toreadors (15-9) to five hits - with three strikeouts - over 5 1/3 innings of work. Luke Vandermaten recorded the last five outs in relief for the save.
"I thought Keegan did a great job of competing on the mound after (the Toreadors) jumped out early," Elsbecker said.
Fact Box
Fort Dodge 4, Boone 2
Fort Dodge 000 013 0-4 10 2
Boone 100 001 0-2 5 1
Keegan Gormally, Luke Vandermaten (6) and Devon Harms; Blake Fudge, Brian Boesen (6) and Will Hilsabeck. 2B-FD: Will Gormally; B: Dusty Moran.
The Dodgers travel to No. 6 Waukee (22-6) on Thursday.