The Fort Dodge baseball team kept their momentum going heading into a key Iowa Alliance Conference showdown with Ames on Thursday.

Landen Grandors spun a complete-game three-hitter with eight strikeouts as the Dodgers topped Storm Lake at Ed McNeil Field, 6-1.

Grandors, a junior, allowed a first inning home run to Allan White and settled down after, throwing 75 pitches with 55 of them strikes. He did not walk a batter and faced just 26 total.

“That is the ‘Big Hoss’ we have been waiting to see,” FDSH head coach Blake Utley said. “Landen was out there looking like his old self. It’s great to have him back and show that confidence he has.

“I thought our defense played great. The infield supported him, and we had some tremendous plays in the outfield.”

Freshman Kolton Schiltz, who made one of those outfield plays Utley mentioned, also drove in two runs and had a hit with a walk. Junior Royce Pederson recorded a double, driving in a run and scoring, while sophomore Jaxson Dencklau added an RBI.

Junior Rylan Kingrey and freshman Tanner Peterson both added hits, with Kingrey and senior Jace Johnson each stealing a base.

“We were able to get runners on and move them around with key hits,” Utley said. “It was good to see us keep that momentum going from Monday night.”

Grandors, who missed time early in the season with an injury, went 5-4 over 39-plus innings last year in the rotation.

“Landen used his curve to set up his fastball,” Utley said. “They took advantage there in the first and got that home run, but we adjusted and Landen kept them guessing for the rest of the night.

“We were able to move some guys around after Monday’s doubleheader (a sweep at Marshalltown), and now we can focus in on Ames Thursday night.”

The Dodgers are the only team to deal the defending Class 4A state runner-up Little Cyclones (21-14, 13-1) a North division loss this year, as the two split their first meeting in Ames earlier this month.

First-pitch is set for 5 p.m. Thursday night.

FORT DODGE 6, STORM LAKE 1

Storm Lake 100 000 0 — 1 3 4

Fort Dodge 022 011 x — 6 4 1

WP–Landen Grandors (1-3, 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 8 K, 0 BB). LP–Brock Edwards (1-2, 4ª IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 3 K, 3 BB).

HR–SL: Allan White. 2B–FD: Royce Pederson. RBI–SL: Allan White; FD: Kolton Schiltz (2), Royce Pederson, Jaxson Dencklau. SB–SL: Charlie Dvergsten; FD: Jace Johnson, Rylan Kingrey.