WAUKEE — The Fort Dodge baseball team secured a split against a Class 4A state tournament contender here on Friday night.

After dropping the opener of a twinbill with No. 2 Waukee by a 10-0 count in six innings, the Dodgers responded, scoring a 2-1 nightcap victory.

Sophomore Cael Adams went five innings, allowing just three hits and an earned run while striking out four with only one walk. Junior Mason Frevert finished things off for Fort Dodge (7-2 overall) with two scoreless frames, allowing a just single hit and striking out two.

“Cael pitched with a lot of confidence in himself, and we have a lot of confidence in Cael on the mound,” FDSH head coach Blake Utley said. “He had an incredible start right out of the gates and we are just super proud of him. Mason came on and was locked right in, keeping them off-balance.

“We’ve talked about our pitching depth being a strength for us and that came to fruition.”

Both Dodger runs came in the first inning, as junior Kolton Schiltz doubled in freshman Hayden Porter and junior Will McElroy brought in Schiltz with a single.

Porter and senior Jaxson Dencklau each had a hit, as did Schiltz and McElroy in the win. Dencklau also stole a base.

“We were able to get a couple runs there and showed that anything can happen in a baseball game — especially a doubleheader,” Utley said. “That was an intense, fun game where both teams got better.

“Tanner Peterson made one of the best plays I’ve ever seen in a high school game in the field. He also started a key double-play that really helped turn the momentum in our favor.”

Waukee (9-2) is ranked second in the Iowa Baseball Coaches Association poll.

In the first game, junior Cal Pederson, Porter and Schiltz each had a hit off Griffin Landholm, a senior who has committed to play for Iowa Central. Porter and Dencklau were each issued a walk.

Landholm went all six, striking out seven. Matt Meeker hit a home run for the Warriors, who scored two in two runs in the first, three in the second, one in the fourth and four in the sixth.

Meeker, a junior, has committed to the University of Arkansas.

Sophomore Reggie Pederson pitched five innings, allowing eight hits and striking out three for the Dodgers.

“Reggie did a nice job,” Utley said. “He hung a pitch to probably the best hitter in the state in Meeker, but he was mixing his pitches and competed his tail off.”

Fort Dodge is at Mason City on Monday for an Iowa Alliance Conference doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. at Roosevelt Field.