FORT DODGE – Like any good team would, third-ranked (Class 2A) Fort Dodge St. Edmond came out and put Webster City on the defensive in a showdown between North Central Conference rivals Wednesday night the Rogers Sports Complex.

It didn’t help that Webster City was without one of its leaders either.

With three-time first-team all-NCC performer Mikaleh McCoy watching because of a sprained wrist, the Lynx fell behind 6-0 after two innings and tried to rally late, but came up short, 8-6.

McCoy would have been in the pitcher’s circle and in her usual No. 3 spot in the lineup had she been healthy.

“With the way she’s been hitting, it throws things out of rhythm a little bit, but the girls adjusted well, especially in the late innings,” WCHS head coach Jess Howard said. “They made (St. Edmond) earn the win … they weren’t going to sit there and take it.”

WCHS (4-3, 3-1 NCC) put three runs up in the seventh and had the tying run at the dish before Gaels’ hurler Amanda Lansman slammed the door.

Winners of five straight, St. Edmond (9-1, 3-0 NCC) belted nine hits, including doubles by Maggie Harvey and Anna Yung, and triples by Harvey and Lily Peterson off Lynx hurler Gabbi Hoversten. Yung finished 3-for-4 with a RBI, while Harvey and Stumpf both went 2-for-3 and combined to plate three runs.

“One through nine, they’ve got a lot of power and they’ve got a lot of confidence up at bat,” Howard said of the Gaels.

WCHS finished with eight hits, keyed by 2-for-4 outings from Allie Flaws and Hannah Myers at the top of the order. Cassidy Nerland, Maddie Anderson, Taylor Schnathorst and Haley Flaws all added singles.

Allie Flaws, Anderson and Schnathorst collected one RBI each.

The two teams combined to make 11 errors in the field. The six committed by the Lynx translated into three unearned runs. Hoversten struck out two and walked one.

WCHS will get back to work on Saturday at the Bondurant-Farrar Tournament. First up will be a meeting with PCM at 9 a.m.