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Dodgers take care of Hawks

Top-ranked Fort Dodge softball squad completes season sweep

Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Fort Dodge celebrates Tory Bennett’s home run against Ankeny on Wednesday at McNeil Field. For more photos, visit CU.messengernews.net

It was a game of adjustments for the top-ranked (Class 5A) Fort Dodge softball team on Wednesday, as Ankeny had a different approach to throw at the Dodgers.

It didn’t work.

Fort Dodge (24-4 overall) cruised to a 14-0, four-inning win in the opener, and a 15-5 win in five innings to close out the season sweep of the No. 13 Hawkettes.

“We had a practice on Tuesday and worked on some things we needed to change,” said FDSH head coach Andi Adams. “We had to work on execution. Teams were starting to figure us out with our aggressive style, so we had to adjust.

“We were trying to be smarter and take a different approach at the plate.”

In the opener, the Hawkettes made eight different pitching changes through four innings alone, with three different hurlers in the circle.

Junior Tory Bennett ended the contest by the mercy rule, hitting a three-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the fourth inning — the first of her career. Bennett had two hits and scored two runs.

“Tory has been on fire,” Adams said. “She’s playing at an elite level. When they walked Jalen (Adams intentionally) to get to her, she has a competitive mindset and wants them to pay for putting her at the plate.”

Senior Tristin Doster had the other big hit for the Dodgers, ripping her own three-run home run in a nine-run third inning.

Eighth-grader Mariah Myers was 3-for-3 in the opener and Adams drove in two runs. Junior Haley Wills was 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBI.

In the circle, Adams (15-1) allowed only two hits and struck out five.

Eighth grader Lucy Porter (9-0) stayed unbeaten on the season, allowing seven hits and striking out three in the nightcap.

The Dodgers had 14 hits in the second contest, and 26 on the evening.

Fort Dodge got production out of the bottom of their lineup in Game 2, as Maia Davis, Chloe Wirtz, Sophia Klinger and Wills combined for eight hits in 15 at bats.

Klinger and Doster were both 3-for-4. Doster had a double and drove in three. Klinger had an RBI and three runs scored.

Wills, Myers and Davis had two hits each. Wills, Davis and Wertz drove in two runs a piece.

“I told the girls we needed to get hits from the bottom of the order, and they stepped up big time,” Adams said. “Sophia had a great night and Haley is really coming on strong, too.”

The Dodgers are back in action on Wednesday at Des Moines Roosevelt.

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