Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Cal Pederson of Fort Dodge makes a play against Ottumwa on Thursday at McNeil Field. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

Mason Frevert was always going to be a piece to the Fort Dodge pitching puzzle in 2026, but head coach Blake Utley wasn’t quite sure where the junior would fit beyond that.

On Thursday, Frevert became the main reason why the ninth-ranked (Class 4A) Dodgers were able to salvage a split with Ottumwa at McNeil Field.

Frevert led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a double, later scrambling home with the winning run on an error as Fort Dodge prevailed in walk-off fashion with a 3-2 nightcap victory over the Bulldogs.

Ottumwa took the opener, 7-1.

Frevert only had eight at-bats on the season before the Iowa Alliance Conference cross-league twinbill, but Utley and the FDSH coaching staff had noticed his improvement and hard work in the batting cages recently. They rewarded Frevert with a start at second base, and the faith in him paid huge dividends in a clutch moment with the score tied in the final frame.

“You have to feel really good for Mason,” Utley said. “A year ago, we weren’t sure what he was going to be for us beyond just a pitcher. He had a nice growth spurt, even though he’s still skinny as a rail. He’s been really effective for us on the mound (Frevert is a team-best 4-0 with a 2.37 earned run average), but he’s been swinging the bat well too and we wanted to give him a shot (in the second contest) to see what he could do.

“It’s a really cool moment for him to hit that lead-off double and race home at the end. That’s something he’ll always remember.”

Hitting was at a premium for the Dodgers (23-5 overall), as Ottumwa pitchers Dawson Weller and Jace Mitchell were both effective in quieting the red-hot Fort Dodge bats. Utley’s lineup had produced 100 runs during a recent seven-game win streak.

“We could tell pretty early on that this might be a day where we’d have to manufacture some runs,” Utley admitted. “That’s a really solid ballclub, and their pitchers did a fantastic job. We’ve been swinging the bats really well, but sometimes, you have days like this and you tip your hat to the other team. At that point, you have to grind your way through it, so it’s a positive that we were able to get win second one. We didn’t want to end the week getting swept.”

Sophomore pitcher Reggie Pederson fired a complete-game five-hitter for Fort Dodge, striking out five and allowing just single earned runs in the first and third innings. Pederson is now 4-2 on the year.

“I thought this was one of Reggie’s better outings,” Utley said. “He mixed his pitches well and can be tough to pick up as a hitter, given his arm speed and motion doesn’t change (between a fastball and his off-speed arsenal). He’s gotten into a good rhythm.”

Kolton Schiltz had the hard-hit ball to shortstop that ultimately plated Frevert. The throw hopped past the first baseman, allowing Frevert to come home and set off a Dodger celebration.

Tanner Peterson had the lone Dodger RBI in the nightcap, as Ottumwa (15-8) committed four errors. Schiltz had a hit, a run scored, two walks and three stolen bases.

Mitchell’s ERA stayed below 1.00 on the year for the Bulldogs, even in defeat.

Fort Dodge was handcuffed by Weller in the opener. Weller scattered five hits — all singles.

The Bulldogs hit three home runs — all to right field — against Peterson (3-3), who came in with a 1.72 ERA.

All six of Ottumwa’s runs came in the opening two frames. Bo Marsh knocked Schiltz in with a single for the Dodgers’ lone score in the bottom of the fourth.

“We did the little things we needed in that second (contest) that we didn’t take care of in the first,” Utley said. “They jumped on us early, but we only gave up three runs in the last (12 innings).

“We’ll work on some things in practice and get ready for Mason City (on Monday).”

The Dodgers host the Riverhawks (16-7, 6-2) for the IAC Northern Division lead beginning at 5 p.m.

OTTUMWA 7, FORT DODGE 1

Ottumwa 420 001 0 — 7 7 0

Fort Dodge 000 100 0 — 1 5 1

FORT DODGE 3, OTTUMWA 2

Ottumwa 101 000 0 — 2 5 4

Fort Dodge 100 100 1 — 3 4 1

2B–FD: Mason Frevert. SB–FD: Kolton Schiltz 3, Tru McBride.