Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Fort Dodge's Brooklyn Gilliland slides safely into third base at Rogers Park earlier this season.

With the postseason right around the corner, the Fort Dodge softball squad is trying to position itself to have a very special ending.

Head coach Andi Adams wants her team to know what is ahead of them, and to play with the same demeanor night in and night out — never taking their foot off the gas pedal.

The third-ranked (Class 4A) Dodgers (33-4) took that to heart on Wednesday night when they faced Waterloo East (1-29) for Dodger Parent Night.

FDSH cruised to an 11-2 victory in the opener, then closed the twinbill sweep with a 14-0 triumph to cap the program’s first undefeated run through the Iowa Alliance Conference Northern Division.

“We just told the girls to go out and play like they’ve been playing,” Adams said. “We have to keep the pressure on teams and not take our foot off the gas.

“You have to adjust a few things, but have the same focus with the same goal no matter who you’re going up against.”

Since Fort Dodge entered the Iowa Alliance Conference in 2023, the Dodgers have beaten the Trojans all 16 times, with 11 shutouts and double-digit runs in every contest.

Waterloo East, which only has 10 players on its roster, will combine with Waterloo West next year and be called Waterloo United.

Fort Dodge junior Ellie Doster upped her school record-breaking RBI mark to 68 with one in the first game and two in the nightcap. Doster recently passed Morgan (Paulson) Lehman (61) and Mariah Myers (57) on the single-season charts.

Doster, who has recorded a hit in 34 of Fort Dodge’s 35 games, also sluggerd her 12th home run of the season in the nightcap, where she was 2-for-3 with three RBI.

Doster is two longballs away from tying Loghen Schnetzer (14) for the FDSH single-season home run record.

“Ellie is on a tear,” Adams said. “She is a force at the plate.”

Sophomore Grace Nichols showed off her prodigious power as well, going 2-for-2 in the nightcap with a pair of two-run homers. She added a double and two RBI in the second game.

For the season, Nichols has seven home runs and 45 RBI.

“Grace has improved so much,” Adams said. “She has done the work in the weight room and you can see it on her frame.

“Her bat speed has increased a lot.”

With a nine-run first inning in the opening tilt, the Dodgers had a chance to insert some younger faces into the lineup.

“It was nice to see some extra girls get varsity time,” Adams said. “They’ve been working hard.”

Leadoff hitter Hope Alstott was 2-for-2 with three RBI and two runs and a triple. Teryn Rippentrop had an RBI and a double, while Brooklyn Gilliland drove in a run.

Aubrey Alstott (17-1) picked up the win, throwing four innings of four-hit ball. She struck out four and walked one.

Eighth-grader Jocelynn Bishop worked one inning of relief, allowing two hits and striking out one.

It was a slugfest for the Dodgers in the second game, as they closed the contest early in four innings. Fort Dodge recorded 12 hits and blasted four home runs.

With Nichols and Doster, along with Hope Alstott going deep, Macy Wills sped around the bases for an inside-the-park home run. She finished the night with two hits.

Rippentrop was perfect at the plate, as the Indian Hills commit went 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored in the nightcap. Meg Marsh also had an RBI.

Sophomore Sydney Carver (14-2) threw all four innings and only gave up one hit — in the fourth inning — while striking out two.

The top five hitters in the Dodger lineup were 10-for-13 with 11 RBI and 11 runs scored.

Fort Dodge is back in action on Thursday when they host Ballard (9-18). They will finish the regular season with games against No. 8 (Class 5A) Waukee on Monday and 10th-rated (5A) Cedar Fall on Tuesday.

FORT DODGE 11, WATERLOO EAST 2 (5)

Waterloo East 000 20 — 2 6 2

Fort Dodge 901 1x — 11 7 1

WP–Aubrey Alstott (17-1, 4 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 4 SO, 1 BB); 2B–FD: Teryn Rippentrop, Grace Nichols; 3B–FD: Hope Alstott; HBP–FD: Ellie Doster; SF–FD: Brooklyn Gilliland; SB–FD: Maeleena Meyer, Rylee O’Brien, Gilliland; RBI–FD: H Alstott (3), Nichols (2), Rippentrop, Gilliland, Doster, Meg Marsh, Emmersyn Lara.

FORT DODGE 14, WATERLOO EAST 0

Waterloo East 000 0 — 0 1 2

Fort Dodge 464 x — 14 12 1

WP– Sydney Carver (14-2, 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 SO, 0 BB); 2B–FD: Macy Wills, Meg Marsh, Ellie Doster; HR–FD: Grace Nichols (2), Doster, Hope Alstott, Willis; HBP–FD: Nichols, H Alstott; SB–FD: Teryn Rippentrop, WIlls, H Alstott; RBI–FD: Nichols (4), Doster (3), Rippentrop (2), H Alstott, Wills, Marsh.