Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Fort Dodge's Meah McCaleb stretches to make a catch on Friday at Rogers Park. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

It was a mixed bag of results for eighth-ranked (Class 4A) Fort Dodge Senior High at its home softball invitational here Friday at Rogers Park.

Facing a gauntlet of a schedule that featured clashes with unbeaten and top-ranked (Class 1A) Clarksville and No. 7 (4A) North Polk, head coach Andi Adams’ Dodgers posted a strong 10-2, five-inning victory over the Indians before dropping an 11-2, five-inning decision to the Comets.

“We need to understand that you just can’t go up against quality teams and not play your best softball,” Adams said. “It was a good start against Clarksville…we showed what we are capable of there. The second game was rough, though.

“We have to be hungry every game and every at-bat, and (on Friday), that just wasn’t the case consistently enough.”

Senior pitcher Lucy Porter’s four-inning, five-strikeout performance silenced a Clarksville group that entered with a 15-game winning streak.

Porter received plenty of offensive support. The senior-sophomore infield combination of Ashlyn Wills and Calliegh Zimmermann each lofted balls into the strong southern wind blowing across Diamond 1, as Wills slugged a two-run homer and Zimmermann blastied a three-run shot.

FDSH junior outfielder Maeleena Meyer and freshman designated player Grace Nichols added multiple hits in the lopsided victory. Meyer was 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI from the No. 9 position in the order.

Sophomore Hope Alstott added two hits as well for the Dodgers against Clarksville.

The anticipated showdown between a pair of Top-10 foes in 4A saw the Comets open a 6-0 lead with a six-run, seven-hit second inning attack.

Adams’ squad battled back with two runs in the fourth, as Nichols drilled a two-run double to the fence. North Polk (17-4) — the No. 3 seed in this tourney — answered back with authority in their half of the frame, though, plating five more runs behind four hits to put the game away and advance to the semifinal round past the sixth-seeded Dodgers.

Ava Husak, a Drake University commit, drove in a pair of runs and pitched around Nichols’ two-run two-bagger. Husak struck out four in improving her personal record to 12-2 on the year.

Leadoff hitter Madelyn Klever was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and a pair driven in for North Polk.

Tessa Dillinger and Alexandra Mohlke both contributed a pair of RBI in the Comet victory. Lucy Lucas doubled twice.

North Polk, a 4A state semifinalist last year, will face No. 2 seed and second-rated (3A) Williamsburg in the semis. Fourth-seeded and 12th-ranked (5A) Ames and No. 8 seed Winterset are alive on the other side of the bracket.

Williamsburg ousted Cedar Rapids Kennedy in the quarterfinals, 8-1. Ames outslugged Ankeny, 12-10, and Winterset upset top-seeded Ankeny Centennial, 4-2.

Fort Dodge now squares off with Cedar Rapids Kennedy in the consolation round on Saturday at 10:45 a.m. on Diamond 2.

Fort Dodge 10, Clarksville 2

Clarksville 001 10 — 2 3 1

Fort Dodge 210 52 — 10 11 0

WP — Lucy Porter. LP — Sydney Lovrien. 2B — C: Jeni Johnson, Meyer. HR — C: Emmalee Manwarren; FD: Ashlyn Wills, Calliegh Zimmermann.

North Polk 11, Fort Dodge 2

Fort Dodge 000 20 — 2 3 1

North Polk 060 5x — 11 12 1

WP — Ava Husak. LP — Porter. 2B — NP: Lucy Lucas (2), Katelyn Klever, Alexandra Mohlke, Madelyn Klever; FD: Grace Nichols.

FDSH INVITATIONAL

Friday’s Results

Ankeny Centennial 10, Charles City 0

Winterset 11, Martensdale St. Marys 3

Ankeny 5, Des Moines Roosevelt 1

Ames 15, Newell-Fonda 5

North Polk 8, Atlantic 1

Fort Dodge 10, Clarksville 2

Cedar Rapids Kennedy 3, Clear Creek-Amana 1

Williamsburg 12, Mid-Prairie 4

Quarterfinals

Winterset 4, Ankeny Centennial 2

Ames 12, Ankeny 10

North Polk 11, Fort Dodge 2

Williamsburg 8, Cedar Rapids Kennedy 1

Saturday’s Semifinals

Winterset (15-8) vs. Ames (19-7), 2:15 p.m. (D-2)

North Polk (17-4) vs. Williamsburg (18-3), 2:15 p.m. (D-1)

Saturday’s Consolation Semifinals (5th)

Ankeny Centennial vs. Ankeny, 10:45 a.m. (D-2)

Fort Dodge vs. Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 10:45 a.m. (D-1)

Friday’s Consolation Results

Martensdale St. Marys 7, Charles City 5

Des Moines Roosevelt 11, Newell-Fonda 3

Clarksville 5, Atlantic 4

Clear Creek-Amana 2, Mid-Prairie 0

Saturday’s Consolation Semifinals (9th)

Martensdale St. Marys vs. Des Moines Roosevelt, 9 a.m. (D-1)

Clarksville vs. Clear Creek-Amana, 10:45 a.m. (Dodger)

Saturday’s Consolation Semifinals (13th)

Charles City vs. Newell-Fonda, 9 a.m. (D-2)

Atlantic vs. Mid-Prairie, 9 a.m. (Dodger)