DONNELLSON — The Fort Madison High School softball team has a very loud cheering section right in its own dugout.

It is led by Ava Fuget, a constant one-woman cheering section that inspired her Bloodhounds Saturday morning to a 6-4 nonconference win at Central Lee.

“When everyone is loud everyone gets hype,” said Fuget, who plays second base. “When someone hits a good ball, everyone starts getting hype. it’s like a ripple effect.”

That effect rippled right into Fuget herself.

“We’re always hype for each other. We’re yelling when we are up to bat,” Fuget said. “When someone has a good hit, someone makes a catch or good pitch we’re hype.”

‘I’ could be substituted for ‘we.’ Fuget is the loudest most constant voice.

And it seems to work.

“When I’m up to bat, I want to hear everyone yell because I know when you hit good, everyone feels good,” Fuget said. “It’s a team thing.”

Her constant cheering is so inspirational it affected herself. She hit her first career home run.

Teammate Brylie Lorence also clouted a dinger and Central Lee’s Kenna Sandoval got in on the long ball party.

Fort Madison took a 2-0 lead in the second inning but Central Lee got a double from Elaina Barlow, who then scored on Olivia Day’s double.

Lorence hit a solo blast for a 3-1 lead in the top of the third inning, then took a 4-1 lead on Ava Taylor’s RBI-single.

It was Lorence’s second this season and it came in a “big moment,” Doherty said. “It’s important to see them contribute like that.

Fuget made it 5-1 with a solo shot in the fourth inning.

Fuget was 2-for-4 in the game and the loudest voice in a constantly supportive Fort Madison dugout.

“It felt amazing to get my first,” Fuget said. “It felt good coming off the bat. I haven’t been hitting good so to come here and do that just feels really good.’

Someone’s first home run is memorable.

“I had to watch it,” Fuget said. “I’d say it was a couple feet higher than the fence when it went out. I just try to hit to get on base. That is what will work for our team.”

Fuget bats first in the lineup. “I just have to get on then everyone else will hit good.”

“A lot of the win was just grinding and our pitcher threw great,” FMHS coach Kyle Doherty said. “That always helps out.

“A big focus point today was putting the bat on the ball.”

Lucia Darnell, an eighth grader, threw all seven innings withseven hits, three of the four runs earned, one walk and three strikeouts.

Her counterpart was Hayden Rule for Central Lee. She threw five innings witheight hits, five earned runs, three walks and four dtrikeouts. Elaina Barlow threw the last two innings with two hits and one earned run.

Day’s second double scored Aubree Bunnell to pull the Hwks to within 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Carlee Pezley singled in the bottom of the fifth inning for the Hawks.

Sandoval connected on a 3-ball, one-strike pitch and sent it out over the fence in center to pull the Hawks within 5-4.

“I thought that would give us some momentum,” Central Lee coach Jason Hawk said. “It’s hard to come back after a big win like we had last night against West Burlington. Especially the next morning, it’s hard to have a lot of enthusiasm knowing we had the big win last night,” Central Lee coach Jason Hawk said. “Fort Madison did a good job and their pitcher hit her spots and kept us off balance.”

The Bloodhounds assistant coach, Erica Martinez Darnell had something to do with that.

“Erica knows a little bit about pitching and she’s fantastic with the girls. Her experience is invaluable and helps take some of the pressure off me,” said Doherty who is in his first season as a softball coach.

The top of the sixth provided the Bloodhounds some insurance when Olivia Buckner singled, stole second, went to third on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch.

The Hawks went down in order in the seventh after getting just four batters to the plate in the sixth.

“I don’t think I had them prepared,” Hawk said. “I’ll take the blame.”

Central lee lost its second game this season to fall to 8-2. The Hawks host Columbus Monday, then play two Super conference South Division games, hosting New London Tuesday and go to Holy Trinity Wednesday.

“Jason Hawk has done a really good job and made Central Lee a good ball team,” Doherty said. “It’s a good program. It’s a good win for us especially rolling into Burlington Monday.”

That will be a doubleheader and Thursday is another Southeast Conference game, this one at Washington.