-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Ellie Doster of Fort Dodge hit an two run homer against Wahlert Catholic during Dodgers Invitational on Friday at Rogers Park

There is no magic potion to the success of the Fort Dodge softball program under head coach Andi Adams.

Instead, the third-ranked (Class 4A) Dodgers understand one simple rule: practice hard to make games easy.

Fort Dodge showed that mentality here Friday on the opening day of its invitational at Rogers Park, knocking off top-ranked (1A) and defending state champion Clarksville, 6-1, before besting No. 2 (3A) Dubuque Wahlert, 6-3, to reach the semifinals.

The Dodgers (21-2 overall) will now get top-seed and second-ranked (5A) Ankeny Centennial on Saturday at 2:15 p.m. The Jaguars (23-1) advanced with a 13-0 win over No. 15 (1A) Martensdale-St. Marys and an 8-6 triumph vs. seventh-rated (4A) North Polk.

Aubrey Alstott tossed a five-hitter in the opener, striking out one while helping her own cause with a pair of RBI. Hope Alstott and Emersyn Lara each had a double, scored a run and drove in another, as Teryn Rippentrop added an RBI.

“These girls just understand that we work so hard in practice so that any situation that comes up in a game, they’ve been through it and understand how to handle it,” Adams said. “That is why we drill so hard (in practice). That makes them ready for these big-game situations.”

Clarksville struck first, taking a 1-0 lead on an RBI by Kara Bohlen. But the Indians, who had three hits in that inning, would get just two more off Alstott, who needed to throw just 64 pitches to get through the game.

“Aubrey was incredible inside the circle,” Adams said. “Clarksville is a very good team. We felt like there were a few spots we could attack, and we were able to kind of get going in the fourth.”

Fort Dodge again fell behind early vs. Dubuque Wahlert, as the Golden Eagles plated two runs in the third. They would respond, tying it in the fourth when Ellie Doster launched a solo home run and Calliegh Zimmermann drove in Maeleena Meyer.

Wahlert went up 3-2 in the sixth, but the Dodgers answered with a four-spot. Zimmermann’s two-RBI double gave them the lead, as Meg Marsh and Aubrey Alstott followed with RBI singles.

“We are just so tough at the plate right now,” Adams said. “The girls are producing and hitting the ball to all parts of the field. It is just so much fun to see them having this kind of success and enjoying each other.

“They are picking the other one up, talking about the pitches they are seeing and just have really been a lot of fun to be around.”

For Dubuque Wahlert, Ruth Tauber, Addison Klein and Hayley Lang each drove in a run, as University of Iowa commit Julia Roth had two hits and scored once.

Newell-Fonda went 0-2 on the day, as the seventh-ranked (1A) Mustangs fell to No. 5 (5A) Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 13-0, and fifth-ranked (4A) Clear Creek-Amana, 12-1.

FORT DODGE 6, CLARKSVILLE 1

Clarksville 100 000 0 — 1 5 6

Fort Dodge 001 500 x — 6 6 0

WP–Aubrey Alstott (11-0, 7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 K, 0 BB). LP–Sydney Lovrien (11-2, 6 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 2 K, 4 BB).

2B–C: Hannah Wangsness; FD: Emersyn Lara, Hope Alstott. RBI–C: Kara Bohlen; FD: Hope Alstott, Teryn Rippentrop, Aubrey Alstott (2), Emersyn Lara. SB–FD: Maeleena Meyer, Hope Alstott (2), Brooklyn Gilliland.

FORT DODGE 6, DUBUQUE WAHLERT 3

Dubuque Wahlert 002 001 0 — 3 9 8

Fort Dodge 000 204 x — 6 8 0

WP–Emersyn Lara (1-1, 5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 K, 0 BB). LP–Natalie Ruba (2-3, 1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 K, 0 BB).

HR–FD: Ellie Doster. 2B–DW: Hayley Lang; FD: Calliegh Zimmermann. RBI–DW: Ruth Tauber, Addison Klein, Hayley Lang; FD: Ellie Doster, Calliegh Zimmermann (3), Meg Marsh, Aubrey Alstott. SB–FD: Maeleena Meyer.