Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Fort Dodge's Tanner Peterson gathers the ball to make a throw against Des Moines Roosevelt on Wednesday at McNeil Field. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

The 10th-ranked (Class 4A) Fort Dodge baseball team secured a split with Des Moines Roosevelt here Wednesday night at Ed McNeil Field.

After dropping game one, 6-3, the Dodgers responded with a 13-8 victory in the nightcap.

Junior Will McElroy had a big night at the plate, driving in seven runs with a grand slam and a double. Davis Underberg added two RBI, and both Kolton Schiltz and Tru McBride scored three runs.

“That’s just the kind of night you have sometimes,” FDSH head coach Blake Utley said. “In the game of baseball, you win some and you lose some. Nobody is going undefeated in the majors. That’s just how the season goes.

“We had some opportunities in the first game but we just couldn’t get that big hit to get back in it. Credit Roosevelt, because they came out and got after us. But I was proud of the response we had to take the second.”

After the Roughriders again took an early lead, Fort Dodge (16-4 overall) answered with a four-run first. They again responded following a two spot by Roosevelt (9-7) in the second, plating five to take a 9-3 edge.

“We really did a nice job there in answering them each time,” Utley said. “But we got a little stagnant and they started coming back. I thought Will’s home run really was the dagger and (relief pitcher) Reggie (Pederson) nailed it down in the seventh.”

Pederson came on with a 13-8 lead after the Roughriders had scored four runs, recording two strikeouts with a perfect inning.

“That was big for Reggie,” Utley said. “He hasn’t had the kind of year he wants at the plate so far, but a performance like that on the mound can get him going. And it’s still a long season.”

Jaxson Dencklau scored twice. McBride added his sixth home run of the year.

Bo Marsh drove in two and Tanner Peterson had an RBI.

In the opener, the Dodgers put together a late charge. Peterson hit a solo home run in the sixth to get Fort Dodge on the board. Down 6-1 in the seventh, they plated two more runs and had the bases loaded with no one out. Underberg drove in Schiltz and McElroy plated McBride.

Miles Lorentzen was able to get out of it with a strikeout to end the contest. Lorentzen went the distance, striking out seven with five walks and seven hits allowed.

Roosevelt jumped on sophomore Cael Adams in the first inning of the opener when Karsten Klassen hit his first home run of the season. Klassen’s three-run shot came after back-to-back singles.

The Roughriders scored again in the second on an RBI-single by Klassen, who had four RBI on the year and doubled that number in his first two at-bats.

In the third, Roosevelt scored two more on consecutive doubles.

Fort Dodge hits the road for a twinbill at Waterloo East on Thursday.

DES MOINES ROOSEVELT 6, FORT DODGE 3

DM Roosevelt 312 000 0 — 6 10 0

Fort Dodge 000 001 3 — 3 7 2

WP–Miles Lorentzen (3-2, 7 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 7 K, 5 BB). LP–Cael Adams (2-1, 6 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 3 K, 1 BB).

HR–DMR: Karsten Klassen; FD: Tanner Peterson. 2B–DMR: Lucas Kelley, Maddox White, Ethan Hall; FD: Kolton Schiltz, Will McElroy. RBI–DMR: Lucas Kelley, Karsten Klassen (4), Maddox White; FD: Davis Underberg, Tanner Peterson, Will McElroy. SB–DMR: Joey Ahrens; FD: Tru McBride.

FORT DODGE 13, DES MOINES ROOSEVELT 8

DM Roosevelt 120 122 0 — 8 9 5

Fort Dodge 453 010 x — 13 7 2

WP–Tru McBride (2 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 0 K, 4 BB). LP–Joey Ahrens (2.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 0 K, 2 BB).

HR–DMR: Maddox White, Sam Beck, Joey Ahrens; FD: Will McElroy, Tru McBride. 2B–DMR: Karsten Klassen; FD: Will McElroy. RBI–DMR: Lucas Kelley, Joey Ahrens, Karsten Klassen, Sam Beck (2), Maddox White (2); FD: Tru McBride, Bo Marsh (2), Will McElroy (7), Davis Underberg (2), Tanner Peterson.