WEST DES MOINES — For the second straight night the Fort Dodge softball team went toe-to-toe with a Top-15 Class 5A school.

The opponent was a direct reflection of the schedule Andi Adams has put together to get the the eighth-ranked (4A) Dodgers ready for the postseason.

The Dodgers put a seventh inning rally together, but came up short to fourth-ranked (5A) Valley (27-11), losing 5-4.

“Honestly it was one of those games,” said Fort Dodge head coach Andi Adam. “We played very well against a very good Valley team. He (Tom Bakey, Valley head coach) thanked us afterwards for putting the pressure on them.

“That’s what we do and that’s what we want to see.”

Valley took an early lead with two runs in the first inning on a two-run home run from Kari Rose.

The Dodgers pieced together a run in both the second and third before Valley scored two in the fifth and one in the sixth for a 5-2 lead heading into the top of the seventh.

Meah McCaleb ended Valley’s threat, snagging a hard-shot from Mackenzie Mohler, one of the state’s leaders in home runs and finishing the inning with a double play.

Aubrey Alstott came in with the bases loaded to relieve Lucy Porter and finished the game strong for the Dodgers. Alstott allowed one hit and one earned run in one-plus inning of work. Porter went four-plus with six hits allowed.

“Lucy pitched a great game and Aubrey came in and pitched great in a tough situation,” Adams said. “I thought we played a good game and I liked what I saw in my team. Obviously we want the win, but the effort was tremendous.”

Hope Alstott started the inning with a single and later scored on an RBI-single from Ellie Doster. McCaleb plated courtesy runner Ava Wessels with an RBI single. Cadence Touney hit a shot to right field that was caught to end the contest.

Alstott, Doster, McCaleb and Porter all had two hits each as the Dodgers had 10 as a team. Doster, Ashlyn Wills, McCaleb and Porter had an RBI each. Alstott scored twice, while McCaleb and Wessels had runs.

For Valley Ballard had two hits and drove in two runs, while Rose and Ilsa Hervey also drove in a run.

The Dodgers will now await the winner of Waverly-Shell Rock and Mason City for a Class 4A, Region 5 semifinal contest on Saturday.

First pitch is slated for 7 p.m. at Rogers Park.