Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Fort Dodge senior Rylan Kingrey avoids the tag at home plate against Clinton at McNeil Field on Monday. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

The Fort Dodge baseball team honored seniors Landen Grandors, Rylan Kingrey, Royce Pederson and Brayden Reimers here Monday afternoon at Ed McNeil Field.

All four graduates took a turn at the plate moments after completing a doubleheader sweep of Clinton, rounding the bases, crossing home and celebrating with their families.

Scores were 5-0 and 5-4 in favor of FDSH.

The Dodgers (25-13 overall) have now won their most games in a season since going 27-15 in 2013.

“Our four seniors have done absolutely everything that we’ve ever asked of them,” Fort Dodge head coach Blake Utley said. “They are outstanding young men who have taken everything thrown at them — on the athletic fields, in the classroom and in life in general — and become great leaders.

“They have bought in to what we are trying to accomplish as a program. They have done an incredible job of accepting the younger kids in and bringing them into their circle, which has really, really helped us.”

Tanner Peterson dazzled in the opener, needing just 54 pitches to get through six innings. The sophomore allowed only one hit while striking out thre.

Reimers relieved him for the seventh, pitching a scoreless inning against the River Kings (6-26).

At the plate, 10th-graders Tru McBride and Kolton Schiltz each had two hits, drove in a run and had a steal as Fort Dodge swiped eight bases in all.

Seven different Dodgers collected a hit.

Fort Dodge had to battle through some inconsistency in the nightcap, overcoming five errors and a 3-0 deficit by scoring two in the fourth and the winning run in the sixth when Cal Pederson drove in cousin Royce Pederson on a 1-2 count with two outs.

“It wasn’t a perfect day but as (assistant) Coach (Connor) McLeod said, we found a way (in the nightcap),” Utley said. “That could have easily been a loss, but we dug deep, didn’t press, hung in there and got it done when we needed to.”

Grandors picked up his fourth win on the mound, working six innings with five strikeouts on 81 pitches. Kingrey came in and needed just six pitches to finish things off for the save.

Royce Pederson slugged a home run and a double, going 2-for-3. Freshman brother Reggie Pederson drove in a pair.

“It was great that all four seniors played a key role in the wins,” Utley said. “Rylan comes on and closes game two out after Brayden finished off the opener, Royce hits a big home run, and Landen continues to always give us everything he has on the mound each time he steps out there.

“You couldn’t ask for anything more out of those guys.”

The Dodgers conclude the regular season on Tuesday at Webster City (12-15) beginning at 7 p.m. From there, they open Class 4A substate play back at McNeil Field against Mason City (22-12) on Friday.

FORT DODGE 5, CLINTON 0

Clinton 000 000 0 — 0 2 1

Fort Dodge 010 211 x — 5 9 1

WP–Tanner Peterson (8-1, 6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 K, 1 BB). LP–Sam Hoffman (2-6, 4 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 K, 3 BB).

3B–FD: Rylan Kingrey. 2B–FD: Kolton Schiltz. RBI–FD: Rylan Kingrey, Kolton Schiltz, Royce Pederson, Tru McBride, Reggie Pederson. SB–FD: Jaxson Dencklau, Will McElroy, Davis Underberg, Tru McBride, Rylan Kingrey, Cal Pederson, Royce Pederson, Reggie Pederson.

FORT DODGE 5, CLINTON 4

Clinton 300 001 0 — 4 3 1

Fort Dodge 002 201 x — 5 6 5

WP–Landen Grandors (4-3, 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 5 K, 1 BB). LP–Maverick Hensel (0-1, 3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 K, 0 BB). S–Rylan Kingrey (1, 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 K, 0 BB).

HR–FD: Royce Pederson. 2B–C: Cooper Belitz; FD: Jaxson Dencklau, Royce Pederson. RBI–C: Tayton Castle, Nolan Marsh, Konnor Schroeder; FD: Reggie Pederson (2), Royce Pederson, Tanner Peterson, Cal Pederson. SB–C: Konnor Schroeder.