-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Hayden Porter of Fort Dodge picks up a grounder against Fort Dodge on Monday

Blake Utley believes every game reveals a little more about his ninth-ranked (Class 4A) Fort Dodge baseball squad.

Monday’s doubleheader loss to rival Mason City didn’t produce the outcome his Dodgers had hoped for, but it did give them plenty of homework — and a little bit of brutal honesty in the process.

Three weeks after sweeping the Riverhawks on the road, Mason City came to Fort Dodge and returned the favor at McNeil Field to get right back in the IAC Northern Division hunt. Scores were 4-2 and 11-5.

Utley wasn’t disappointed in the effort of the Dodgers (23-7 overall, 8-2 in the league), but the execution simply wasn’t where it needed to be on Monday and the Riverhawks (19-8, 8-2) capitalized.

“I thought we competed, but we just weren’t super sharp and to Mason City’s credit, they made us pay,” Utley said. “We had some good at-bats. Our approaches were fine. But we weren’t at our best in two of the three phases of the game.

“They’re a solid ballclub and they took advantage of the extra outs or bases we gave them. We always talk about this sport giving us constant feedback. Well this (doubleheader) definitely pointed out some things we need to work on. So now it’s all about how we respond when we get back to work.”

Lincoln Berding was brilliant in the opener for the Riverhawks, firing a complete-game three-hitter with 13 strikeouts.

“We did manage to scratch two runs across against him (Berding had only allowed two in 33 innings all season before Monday). We battled, but he’s one of the best pitchers in the state,” Utley said. “We only got one against them up there (a 1-0 victory). (Yesterday), we made too many mistakes and were just struggling to consistently get the first out in innings.”

All four Mason City runs were in the second inning. Three were earned.

Fort Dodge junior Kolton Schiltz doubled, and classmate Tanner Peterson had a two-run single to help his own cause. Peterson, who blanked the Riverhawks in Mason City, gave up three earned runs and struck out seven. He also had three walks and hit two batters, though.

The Dodgers did go deep four times in the nightcap, but all were of the solo variety. Schiltz, junior Will McElroy, junior Davis Underberg and freshman Hayden Porter cleared the fence.

Porter also tripled. Schiltz was 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI, as his season on-base percentage crept closer to .600.

“Kolton played one of the better defensive (doubleheaders) I’ve seen from an outfielder in a while,” Utley said. “Our outfielders did a great job. We just didn’t handle things the way we needed to in the infield and didn’t execute with our pitches at a level it takes (to prevail).”

Mason City batters were hit four more times in the nightcap, and three wild pitches aided the Riverhawks’ cause. Seniors Gabe Ries and Kinnick Brown both homered and doubled, with senior Marquez Holton going deep as well.

Fort Dodge returns to action on Wednesday at Des Moines Lincoln and Thursday at Marshalltown, with both twinbills beginning at 5 p.m.

MASON CITY 4, FORT DODGE 2

Mason City 040 000 0 — 4 9 2

Fort Dodge 020 000 0 — 2 3 2

2B–FD: Kolton Schiltz; MC: Marquez Holton.

MASON CITY 11, FORT DODGE 5

Mason City 123 400 1 — 11 10 1

Fort Dodge 110 110 1 — 5 9 4

2B–MC: Gabe Ries, Kinnick Brown. 3B–FD: Hayden Porter. HR–FD: Kolton Schiltz, Will McElroy, Davis Underberg, Hayden Porter; MC: Gabe Ries, Kinnick Brown, Marquez Holton. SB–FD: Tru McBride.