Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: FORT DODGE’S ELI ELSBECKER makes a play for the Dodgers at Ed McNeil Field on Monday night. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

The Fort Dodge baseball team needed something special to happen.

Eli Elsbecker heard their call.

Elsbecker, a senior Dodger, delivered a three-run walk-off homer in the opener against Ankeny here Monday evening at Ed McNeil Field, ending a wild 10-8 contest.

In the second game, Ankeny posted a 7-1 victory.

Fort Dodge build a 7-0 lead after a five-run fourth, but the Jaguars battled back. Ankeny scored two in the fifth before taking control with a six-run seventh.

Down to their final outs, senior Carson Peterson singled to begin the seventh. Classmate Jace Ulrich was hit by a pitch and Peterson advanced to third on a wild pitch.

With a 3-1 count in his favor, Elsbecker sent FDSH into a frenzy at home plate by clearing the ivy-covered fence in left-center.

“What a lot of heart and determination by our guys there in the first game,” FDSH head coach Blake Utley said. “We played like we’ve wanted to play there in those first few innings, but Ankeny was able to get going and take the lead. To the credit of our guys, though, they didn’t hang their heads.

“We got the first two on and talked as a staff about bunting or hitting. My coaches said let them hit and Eli came through. Just a huge, huge moment for a senior who works so hard at this game.”

Triston Bockoven and Drew Mortiz each drove in three runs to match Elsbecker, who was 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Ulrich scored twice and Peterson had an RBI and a run.

Bockoven had two hits in the game and Alex Underwood earned the win in relief.

Peterson pitched the first six innings, striking out five with three walks, three hits and just one earned run allowed.

Jamison Patton, a junior who earlier in the day committed to play football for Matt Campbell at Iowa State University, drew two walks and scored a run. Tamden Webb-Tate had a two-run homer to give Ankeny the lead in the seventh while Reid Johnson had two hits and scored twice.

Patton was 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs, including a homer, in the second game. Thomas DeBrower had three hits.

“I thought we played one of our better doubleheaders of the season,” Utley said. “In the second, we just couldn’t get that big hit with runners on, but we made some really nice plays on defense, had good pitching and we were still up there hitting the ball hard until the very end.”

Elsbecker added an RBI with four Dodger players recording hits in the nightcap.

Fort Dodge heads to Marshalltown on Wednesday and Mason City Thursday for doubleheaders. They are back home next Thursday, June 23 to play Des Moines Roosevelt.