Photo by Ross Thede, for The Messenger Tory Bennett slides into home plate for Fort Dodge at Marshalltown on Wednesday.

BETTENDORF — The third-ranked (Class 5A) Fort Dodge softball split with a pair of defending state champions here Saturday.

The Dodgers (25-7 overall) beat 5A champions, 10th-ranked Pleasant Valley 8-2, and lost to the 3A champions, second-ranked Louisa-Muscatine, 5-3.

Against the Spartans, Fort Dodge had 11 hits, including four for extra bases as seven Dodgers recorded hits. Tory Bennett, Tristin Doster, Daphne Alstott and Loghen Schnetzer had two hits each.

Chloe Wertz hit a home run, while Haley Wills, Tory Bennett and Doster had doubles.

Wertz drove in four runs, while Bennett and Schnetzer had two RBI each.

“Pleasant Valley is a very good team and an even better program with Jose Lara,” Adams said. “You can’t do it better than he does. They are a class act and welcomed us there. It’s an incredible atmosphere with all of their championship banners hanging up.”

Jalen Adams (17-2) earned the win, tossing a two-hitter. She allowed two earned runs, while striking out three batters and walking one. Adams is now 36-5 in her career.

Against Louisa-Muscatine, the Falcons broke open a 1-1 tie with a four-run bottom of the fifth. The Dodgers tacked on two in the sixth, for the 5-3 final tally.

“This was another incredible test against two great teams,” FDSH head coach Andi Adams said. “These girls are exhausted, but they continued to fight and battled through some adversity. Things didn’t always go our way, but we never gave up.”

Bennett had two more hits in the second contest and Wills had two hits as well including a double.

Schnetzer recorded a double.

Adams has recorded a hit in her 20th out of her last 21 games. She has reached base safely in all 32 of Fort Dodge’s games.

“Jalen has just been incredible this year at the plate,” Adams said. “She continues to find ways to get on even if it isn’t with a hit.”

Fort Dodge is back in action on Monday when they host 15th-ranked (5A) Southeast Polk.

First pitch is set for 5 p.m. at Rogers Park on Senior Night.