—Photo by Jake Ryder/ Marshalltown Times Republican FORT DODGE’S drew moritz makes a play for the Dodgers against Marshalltown on Thursday night in Marshalltown.

MARSHALLTOWN — The Fort Dodge baseball team left here Thursday night with a split vs. Iowa Alliance Conference rival Marshalltown.

The Dodgers started the twinbill off with an 11-2 victory, but were bested in the nightcap by the Bobcats, 2-1.

“We got good enough pitching to get a sweep, we just struggled to make some plays in the second game,” FDSH head coach Blake Utley said. “It isn’t for a lack of effort; these guys continue to fight, claw and grind, we just need to get more experience.

“Once that happens, it is all going to click and we are going to be on the positive side of these doubleheaders with sweeps.”

In the opener, the Bobcats took a 2-0 lead after the first, but had that erased with a three-spot by FDSH in the third. Fort Dodge (10-10 overall, 3-3 in league) added on two more in the fifth, three in the sixth and three in the seventh on 13 hits.

Jase Nekvinda and Dalton Rosalez were a combined 6-for-7 with five RBI and four runs, with Rosalez recording two doubles and Nekvinda one.

Royce Pederson had two hits, including a double, and drove in two, with Corbin Cooper going 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Both of Cooper’s hits were doubles, as Jace Johnson also had a double.

Rosalez spun a five-hitter, striking out four with one walk and one earned run allowed. The senior is now 2-1 on the year with 15 strikeouts in 22-plus innings.

“Dalton pitched a nice game as did all of our pitchers,” Utley said. “We had some great innings in the opener and we finally got things going later in the nightcap. Several kids came up with big at-bats, but we just couldn’t quite overcome it.”

Marshalltown’s Keiler Blue threw a two-hitter in the second game, as he carried a no-hitter into the sixth. Karch Smith broke that up with a leadoff double. Cooper had the other hit in the game as Nekvinda and Landen Grandors each reached on walks.

The Dodgers threatened in the in the seventh after cutting the deficit to 2-1, but were unable to tie the contest after putting runners on first and third with two outs.

Nathan Beekman pitched the first four innings, striking out four with three hits allowed and no earned runs. Jaxson Dencklau tossed the final two, striking out a pair.

Fort Dodge will host Sioux City North on Saturday at Ed McNeil Field at noon. The Dodgers have won each of the last four meetings between the two teams.