Jul 12, 2025
Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Reggie Peterson of Fort Dodge attempts to tag Mason City’s Gabe Ries during 4A substate on Friday at Rogers Park.
Very few words offer high school athletes comfort or perspective after a devastating postseason loss.
Fort Dodge senior Rylan Kingrey took it upon himself to try minutes after his team’s 6-2 Class 4A substate loss to Mason City on Friday night at Rogers Park.
An emotional group of Dodgers were still trying to process the finality of a special year — one that saw them win more games than any FDSH baseball squad since 2013. It was clear head coach Blake Utley’s team wasn’t ready for the season to be over, even though the scoreboard confirmed the harsh reality that the Riverhawks were moving on.
Kingrey had every reason to be self-centered in this moment. After all, the four-year starter and lead-off hitter saw hundreds of hours of preparation and sacrifice abruptly end in what wound up being his final game as a Dodger.
Instead, Kingrey spoke directly to his teammates — and specifically, the ones who will return.
“Rylan said (in the postgame huddle) this was the most talented ballclub he’d ever been on, and that someday, he’ll come back and watch (as a fan) when they accomplish bigger and better things,” Utley said. “I thought that was incredibly mature of him, and showed what kind of leader he’s been. He didn’t make this about him — he made it about the program. To have a teenager think of the bigger picture in a moment like this is special.
“That’s why we’ll miss these seniors. Of course we wanted to make a run; this is a really bitter pill to swallow. But it goes beyond what happens on the field. That’s why you see so many of our guys still hanging around. This was a close-knit team that had a special bond. And the seniors set that tone.”
Mason City (25-12 overall) had dropped three of four regular-season contests to Fort Dodge (26-14), including a home doubleheader on June 23. The Riverhawks have won five in a row and 12 of 15 since that sweep, though, and on Friday, they set the tone early in front of a capacity crowd at a different venue than the original plan.
The Dodgers were supposed to be hosting at McNeil Field, but steady rain all week left the grounds borderline unplayable. The decision was made yesterday morning to opt for the Rogers Park field turf.
Mason City got into an early rhythm, plating two runs with two outs in the top of the second inning before landing a four-run blow in the third.
Junior second baseman Marquez Holton drilled a three-run home run over the tall left-field fence resembling Fenway Park’s “Green Monster.” It was suddenly 6-0 in favor of the Riverhawks, with four of the runs scored having reach via walks.
“That’s both the beauty and the hard part of this sport, depending which side you’re on,” Utley said. “It can happen just like that. You have to congratulate them, for as hard as it is, for taking advantage of their opportunities. We gave them some free passes and some extra chances, and they made the most of it in those two innings.”
Fort Dodge did try and chip away at the deficit. The Dodgers plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth and had the bases loaded in that frame, but came up empty then and the rest of the way.
Mason City pitchers Lincoln Berding (5-5) and Owen Rickers stranded nine batters, weaving in and out of trouble after walking six.
Eighth-grader Hayden Porter had an RBI double and sophomore Bo Marsh delivered a run-scoring single for FDSH. Porter registered two hits.
The top three batters in the Dodger lineup went 0 for 11 after hitting a combined .390 in the regular season.
“We just couldn’t quite get that big hit that would’ve really put the pressure back on them,” Utley said. “It felt like we were close a couple of times, but again, that’s how it can go. We had some hard-hit balls right to them or that they tracked down.
“It wasn’t an effort or an energy problem. This is just the painful reality of postseason baseball — sometimes, you’re on the losing end. It’s tough. These are great kids who gave their all to each other all season long.”
Senior Landen Grandors calmed the waters on the mound and worked the last 4.2 innings without allowing an earned run, giving up just two hits and striking out four. Sophomore ace Tanner Peterson (8-3) took the loss after beating Mason City twice during the regular season.
Seven of the nine Dodger starters are slated to return in 2026. For now, though, Utley kept the focus on Kingrey, Grandors, Royce Pederson and Brayden Reimers.
“The seniors are leaving the program in a better place than they found it,” Utley said. “Not just as a better team, but better culture. There are a lot of things that our kids coming back will take with them from this year, and our seniors are a big reason why. Someday, they’ll realize that. But right now, it just hurts.”
The Riverhawks advance to take on either eighth-ranked West Des Moines Valley or Des Moines Roosevelt on Monday. The Tigers (22-12) and Roughriders (19-20) play on Saturday at 1 p.m.
No. 3 Johnston (25-11) awaits in the Substate 4 finals.
MASON CITY 6, FORT DODGE 2
Mason City 024 000 0 — 6 5 0
Fort Dodge 000 200 0 — 2 5 1
WP–Lincoln Berding (5-5; 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 6 K); SV–Owen Rickers (2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K); LP–Tanner Peterson (2.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 4 K). 2B–FD: Hayden Porter; MC: Lincoln Berding, Marquez Holton. HR–MC: Marquez Holton. SB–FD: Jaxson Dencklau.
Two games are all that stand before the eighth-ranked (Class 4A) Fort Dodge softball team and a return trip to the …
Ideal conditions are expected to greet the field for the 45th annual Fort Dodge Ford Lincoln Toyota regional golf …
The final softball rankings for Class 5A, 4A and 3A were released by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union on …
The Fort Dodge baseball team opens postseason play here Friday night at Ed McNeil Field — weather pending. Rain …
Copyright © 2025 Ogden Newspapers of Iowa, LLC | https://www.messengernews.net | 713 Central Ave., Fort Dodge, IA 50501 | 515-573-2141
