Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Former Fort Dodge all-stater Loghen Schnetzer connects for an Iowa Central home run on Wednesday at Rogers Park. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

Loghen Schnetzer has had many memorable moments playing softball at Rogers Park.

On Wednesday afternoon, the former Fort Dodge Senior High all-stater added another — this time in an Iowa Central uniform.

Schnetzer delivered a three-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the seventh, lifting the No. 11 Tritons to an 8-5 victory over Iowa Lakes.

The victory came after Iowa Central’s 11-game win streak was snapped in the opener, 17-7.

Schnetzer had failed to record a hit before that final at-bat, and first-year Triton head coach Bo Tjebben admitted he thought about putting down a squeeze sign with two runners on and no outs.

But Schnetzer wasn’t having any of it.

The freshman didn’t even step out of the box after the first two pitches, avoiding any chance of the sign being delivered.

“Yeah, I was swinging all the way,” Schnetzer said. “She had got me on a couple pitches earlier in the game so I think she thought she could get me again. I just locked in and found my pitch.”

Many of Schnetzer’s previous memorable moments came on Diamond 1 with the Dodgers. Iowa Central (17-9 overall, 11-1 in ICCAC) plays its home games on Diamond 2, but that didn’t make this one any less important.

“No, there really isn’t anything better than a walk-off,” Schnetzer said said. “It just feels great to get the win. We never got down after the first game. Everybody kept pumping each other up and we made some big plays (in the second game).”

Those included key outs by Abbie Thilges and former Humboldt standout Mady Lange in the field. Thilges — the daughter of Fort Dodge Senior High graduates Denny Thilges and Amy (Reiners) Thilges — caught a ball in center that was at her feet and Lange made an impressive catch against the backstop from her catcher position.

“We didn’t have it going in the first game, but Iowa Lakes is a good team that came in with nothing to lose,” Tjebben said. “They have some nice players and made the plays to win.

“But our girls just kept fighting, kept clawing and kept scratching.”

Abby Wilson, ex-Humboldt talent Carlie Thompson, Lange, Megan Poole and Rachel Newell each drove in a run in the win for Iowa Central, and Mikhaela Muir pitched all seven innings with five strikeouts.

Thilges and Thompson each had two hits.

In the opener, Thompson had two RBI with Kenzie Rosenboom going 3-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. Schnetzer hit a solo home run and scored twice with Lange and Allyson Stewart each driving in a run.

The Tritons return to action on Friday at Ellsworth.