Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Ashlyn Wills of Fort Dodge steals third base against Mason City on Monday at Rogers Park. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

The end result of the fourth-ranked (Class 4A) Fort Dodge softball team’s doubleheader with Mason City was never in doubt on Monday at Rogers Park.

Head coach Andi Adams knew her Dodgers would take care of business on the scoreboard and they did, winning 10-0 and 14-0 in a pair of four-inning routs.

What Adams didn’t want to see was her squad regressing in triumph.

“We’re still not there yet, and that’s how it goes the first week of June,” Adams said. “We did what we needed to do. But there are things you tend to get away with in games like this that you won’t 24 hours later (at fourth-ranked (5A) West Des Moines Valley on Tuesday night). Sometimes you know it, acknowledge it and learn from it. But sometimes you have to learn those lessons the hard way.

“The effort is there. The ‘want to’ is definitely there. The execution needs to be better, though. And I know it kind of sounds funny to say it (after scoring 24 runs), but I don’t think our offense is where it needs to be.”

Senior Lucy Porter fired a one-hitter in the opener, and Fort Dodge delivered a seven-run knockout punch in the bottom of the third. Four different Dodgers – senior Ashlyn Wills, sophomore Ellie Doster, eighth-grader Macy Wills and Porter – drove in two runs each.

Eight FDSH batters recorded a hit. Porter didn’t walk anyone and struck out seven.

Adams mixed and matched her lineup more in the nightcap, as freshman designated player Grace Nichols got a start and delivered two hits and an RBI.

Macy Wills was 2-for-2 with three runs and a pair of RBI. Seniors Meah McCaleb and Cadence Touney both drove in a pair, as McCaleb also tripled and scored twice.

Sophomore Hope Alstott didn’t have an official at-bat, with a walk and two hit by pitches, but she crossed home all three times.

Fort Dodge stole 17 bases in game two alone.

Freshman Aubrey Alstott worked three innings of two-hit ball for the victory, striking out four. Senior Katie Mason finished the job from the circle in the fourth.

“We’re pressing some in certain areas, and we have lingering injuries we’re dealing with,” Adams said. “We have kids who want it so much, and right away. Sometimes you have to let the game come to you and get out of your own way physically and mentally.

“Grace has been doing really well (at the JV1 level), so we give her two at-bats and she hit the ball hard. Then she comes off the field with a smile on her face. That’s the kind of attitude you need to have – a quiet confidence to trust yourself and get the job done. Relax, believe and execute, regardless of who you’re going up against.”

The Dodgers (3-1 overall) have now taken 30 consecutive softball contests from the Riverhawks (0-5) dating back to 2017. Adams is 85-6 during her tenure against Mason City.

Fort Dodge visits the powerful Tigers for a single varsity tilt at 7 p.m. in West Des Moines on Tuesday.

FORT DODGE 10, MASON CITY 0 (4)

Mason City 000 0 – 0 1 1

Fort Dodge 217 x – 10 8 0

WP-Lucy Porter (4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K). 2B-FD: Hope Alstott. SB-FD: Maeleena Meyer, Teryn Rippentrop, Aubrey Alstott, Ashlyn Wills, Hope Alstott.

FORT DODGE 14, MASON CITY 0 (4)

Mason City 000 0 – 0 2 3

Fort Dodge 347 x – 14 8 0

WP-Aubrey Alstott (3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K). 2B-FD: Cadence Touney. 3B-FD: Meah McCaleb. SB-FD: Hope Alstott 5, Macy Wills 5, Calliegh Zimmermann 3, Ava Wessels 2, Meah McCaleb, Maeleena Meyer.