The third-ranked (Class 4A) Fort Dodge softball team has become deft at identifying a problem and attacking it.

The Dodgers had been relatively sluggish in Monday openers this season. That all changed in a hurry against Ames at Rogers Park yesterday evening, as head coach Andi Adams’s squad was at its best in an impressive 11-1 victory to open the twinbill.

Fort Dodge (31-4 overall, 14-0 in the Iowa Alliance Conference Northern Division) then capped the doubleheader and season sweep of the Little Cyclones with a 13-5 win in the nightcap to officially secure the outright league title. Both contests ended early via the mercy rule.

Ames (18-14, 14-4) had been a relative thorn in the Dodgers’ side recently before 2026, going 5-3 versus its rival in the last two seasons to earn at least a share of the last two IAC North titles. Fort Dodge yanked that spike out this year, overwhelming the Little Cyclones in the four matchups by a combined run spread of 38-11.

“I’m just in love with the way this group competes,” Adams said. “And how they either fight to change a narrative or learn from their mistakes. I know I sound like a broken record, but it’s really been impressive and they deserve a lot of credit for it.

“We talked about how we’d been a little slow out of the gate on Mondays so far this year, so we changed some things up. But really, it was more a matter of saying, ‘this is how it’s been, so what are we going to do to change the narrative’ and them accepting the challenge. Kind of like how we had been stung quite a few times by Ames, so they’ve been really focused to get the job done in these games.”

Junior Ellie Doster and sophomore Grace Nichols both hit grand slams for the Dodgers, who have now eclipsed the 30-win total for the eighth time in the last nine years. Doster’s ended the opener early; Nichols’s bomb came in the nightcap.

All-state junior shortstop Hope Alstott went 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBI in the first contest. Sophomore Aubrey Alstott had two hits, two RBI and a triple to help her own cause in the circle. Alstott improved to 16-1 on the year with the two-hit victory.

Fort Dodge plated four runs in the second inning and landed the seven-run knockout punch in the fourth.

Ames led 2-0 and 5-3 early in trying to salvage the split, but the Dodgers’ offense was simply overwhelming again. A six-run second — highlighted by Nichols’ deep fly — put Fort Dodge up for good at 9-5.

Doster, senior Teryn Rippentrop, junior Calliegh Zimmermann and freshman Emersyn Lara had two hits each. Zimmermann drove in a pair with a triple.

Doster also tripled, and Aubrey Alstott doubled.

Lara (2-1) worked 4.1 innings of scoreless relief for the win.

Doster has now driven in 64 runs — the second-best total in the entire state — with 11 homers and a batting average close to .580. The Dodgers lead the entire state — all classes — with 361 runs scored.

“To have two grand slams in one night is amazing,” Adams said. “Ellie and Grace (who has five homers and an average near .500) have been a really tough combination in the lineup. If teams pitch around Ellie, they have to face Grace. Good luck.

“We just don’t get rattled. We were down early; Ames is a really talented, athletic ballclub. But we just stay the course. Aubrey was lights-out in the opener. She’s been so good lately. Macy (Wills) had some incredible throws. And they all want to hit. They want to work. They just want it, period. We had a long travel weekend (at the Linn-Mar Tournament). It was hot (temperatures Monday soared into the mid-90s). There were a lot of reasons to make excuses. We didn’t even consider it.”

Fort Dodge now faces Waterloo East back at home on Wednesday with a chance to cap the program’s first undefeated IAC North season. First pitch at Rogers Park is set for 5 p.m.

FORT DODGE 11, AMES 1 (4)

Ames 0001 0 — 1 2 1

Fort Dodge 040 7 — 11 7 0

WP–Aubrey Alstott (16-1; 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K). 3B–FD: Aubrey Alstott, Hope Alstott. HR–FD: Ellie Doster. SB–FD: Rylee O’Brion 2.

FORT DODGE 13, AMES 5 (6)

Ames 230 000 — 5 8 2

Fort Dodge 361 102 — 13 14 0

WP–Emersyn Lara (2-1; 4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K). 2B–FD: Aubrey Alstott; Ames: Mya Geffre, Kiley Sodahl, Rhea Rudrapatna. 3B–FD: Ellie Doster, Calliegh Zimmermann. HR–FD: Grace Nichols; Ames: Mya Geffre. SB–FD: Teryn Rippentrop, Emersyn Lara, Calliegh Zimmermann, Ava Greiner.