BRILEY VANDEER stretches to try and tag a St. Edmond runner out at Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge on Wednesday night. (DFJ photo by Britt Kudla)

FORT DODGE — The Webster City softball team went on the road here on Wednesday night and nearly added another ranked victory to their resume.

In the end, a key two-run homer by the Fort Dodge St. Edmond career longball leader helped the third-ranked (Class 1A) Gaels secure a 5-4 victory at Rogers Park.

Faith Shirbroun’s longball in the fifth broke a 3-3 tie and put the home squad ahead for good. The Lynx (10-10 overall, 5-5 in the North Central Conference) did trim the final deficit to one with a run in the seventh.

Jaylyn Bahrenfuss, who drove in Morgan Tempel to make it 5-4, finished with two hits. Jakaela Cherry, Haydin Sealine and Hayden McCoy each drove in runs during a fourth-inning rally.

“I thought we did a great job of competing from the beginning all the way through,” WCHS head coach Brad VanDeer said. “We made some really nice plays to limit them at the plate and they did the same to us on some hard hit balls. Faith (Shirbroun) is a great hitter, and I need to be better with playing the odds when she is up (Shirbroun hit the homer). Credit to her for coming up big in that moment.

“I liked out of us is our fight after that, though. We finished the inning and had the tying run on in the seventh. The kids played hard and did everything they were asked to do — it just didn’t go our way.”

McCoy and Cherry drove in runs with doubles. Tessa Hansen stole two bases. Cherry allowed seven hits and struck out three in the circle.

The Gaels are now 20-6 and 10-1.

Webster City welcomes No. 11 (3A) Algona on Friday before taking part in the Roland-Story Classic on Saturday vs. the host Norsemen at 12:30 p.m. and No. 5 (1A) Mason City Newman at 3 p.m.

The Lynx also found out their regional assignment, as they will take on Ballard in a 4A, Region 2 opener on Thursday, July 9.