OTTUMWA — Huston Field went dark on Thursday evening.

The reason? Fireworks.

The Ottumwa softball squad will look to keep those pyrotechnics popping off on Saturday.

That’s when the Bulldogs encounter their make-or-break postseason matchup with 11th-ranked Oskaloosa at 7 p.m.

Huston’s squad enters that pressure-packed Class 4A, Region 8 matchup with plenty of wind behind its sails.

Ottumwa (17-22, 9-10) celebrated Senior Night in winning fashion over Des Moines Hoover. Before the sky lit up with assorted colors and explosions, the Bulldogs put a sweep in the books by scores of 9-2 and 4-3 over their CIML Metro foe.

The Bulldogs have now won eight games in a row to conclude the regular season.

They’ll come right back to the field named after their Hall of Fame coach on Saturday to take on Osky in an attempt to travel to sixth-ranked Burlington in the semifinal round on Monday.

Ottumwa defeated Burlington to qualify for state last season.

Huston brings his squad into the tough region — which features three ranked squads — with a losing record. That’s never happened in school history at OHS.

“We’re kind of on the other side of the fence for the first time,” said Huston, the second winningest softball coach in the nation. “I don’t look at us as the underdog. Each game we play is a toss-up. We’re right there.”

Ottumwa hammered the softball in the opener and scored all of its hits and runs in two innings — the third and fifth.

Ottumwa led 4-0 after the third courtesy of McKenzie Cason’s two-RBI double, followed by senior Tricia Bix’s RBI double on the very next pitch. Liz Cason, a freshman, followed with a single to score a run.

McKenzie Cason was 4-7 on the evening with two doubles in the first game. Cason and Bix have faced Oskaloosa three times in the postseason and won all of them. Each started on the OHS 2005 state tournament squad as freshmen.

Cason discussed Ottumwa’s less-than-spectacular start to the season and what’s left on the table for the Bulldogs.