Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 | Box Score 4 MIDLAND, Texas: DC3 softball made the long trek to Texas last weekend, intent on playing eight games in three days, first in the Odessa Quadrangular and then in the Midland Tournament.  The Conquistadors challenged their opponents, taking five wins and losing three throughout three days of stout competition.

DAY 1

Dodge City lost their opening game to nationally ranked #8 Odessa College in a close 7-6 battle.  DC3 gained the advantage with one run in the first and three runs in the top of the third, before giving up their first run to Odessa in the bottom of the inning.  Each team had collected six runs apiece by the sixth inning.  Heading into the seventh, Odessa shut the Conqs down before tallying one more run in the bottom of the inning to snag the win.

Sophomore Lindsey Karlin went 3-4 with two runs, one RBI and two doubles in the game while Chantal Prester put in a 2-2 performance at the plate. 

Sophomore Jordan MEcham held down the circle for DC3, allowing nine hits, seven runs including six earned runs while fanning one in 31 batters faced.

In game two of the day, DC3 garnered their first win of the 2015 campaign with a 7-1 blowout over Vernon College.  The Conqs drove in six runs in the third inning and one in the fourth while allowing the opposition one run in the seventh.

Karlin went 2-3 with one double, RBI and run while freshman Breanne Lutschg put up a 2-3 outing and sophomores Ashley Beavers and Danielle Aldana each had two RBIs.
Freshman Tristan Rathgeber put in seven innings of work, allowing seven hits and only one earned run while striking out four.

Game three went towards the Conqs as well with a 4-3 decision over #15 Western Nebraska in after 10 innings of play.

DC3 put up two runs in the first to start things off.  WNCC drove in one run in botht the fourth and seventh to tie things up and send things into extra innings.  DC3 answered with another run in the top of the ninth, but the opposition was able to snag one of their own to put the game into the 10^th inning. 

Sophomore Shelby Bowman then stepped up big with a solo shot to left field to send her teammate to home plate.  The Conq defense refused to let Nebraska score in the bottom of the inning, resulting in the 4-3 win, putting the Conqs at 2-1 on the season after day one.
DAY 2

In game one of day two, the Conqs came off the bench with gumption, crossing one run across the plate in the first, five in the second and one in the third while allowing Luna Community College two runs in the first and one in the third to go up 7-3 heading into the fourth inning. 

In the top of the fourth inning, Luna snagged two more runs, putting the score at 5-3 and head coach Howie Smith in the circle making a change.  Mecham came in and shut Luna down for the following three innings, resulting in a Conq 8-5 victory.

Rathgeber earned the start, allowing four hits and five earned runs, while fanning three in 21 batters faced.  Mecham earns the win after coming in early in the third inning, allowing only two hits while striking out six in 13 batters.

Karlin put in another impressive performance, going 3-4 at the late with two RBIs, two doubles and two runs in the game.  Bowman and Beavers both had two hits in the game while sophomore Courtney Rettig put in two RBIs for the Conqs. 

In game two, seven Conqs had one hit apiece, working towards a 6-5 win over Western Texas.  Both teams scored in the first inning and then remained scoreless until the fifth inning.  In the top of the inning, WT scored to start things off, but DC3 answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning.

In the sixth, the opposition collected one run while DC3 collected on three, putting the score at 6-3 heading into the seventh.  Western Texas worked hard to come back, picking up two more runs to give the Conqs a run for their money, but Dodge City was unwilling to give up the game and put them down hard to end things in seven.

Sophomore Kaitlyn Amaral led the team with four RBIs in her 1-3 performance.  During the game, she knocked her second homerun of the season out towards left field, breaking the scoreboard for several minutes.

Karlin, Amaral, Bowman, sophomores Elizabeth Acosta, Adalynn Tanton and Heather Amen and freshman Samantha Bashor all collected singles in the game.
The Conqs would stay undefeated in day two with a 12-9 victory over Vernon College in their last game of the day.

DC3 was down 8-2 heading into the sixth inning.  In the top of the inning, the Conqs kept Vernon scoreless, before putting up five runs in the bottom of the frame and one in the bottom of the seventh to tie things up and send the game into yet another extra inning opportunity.

Vernon tabbed one run in the top of the eighth, forcing the Conqs to score at least one to keep the game going and at least two to stop things in the eighth.  With the bases jimmied, Bowman figured she would score four more runs to seal the deal and knocked out a walk off grand slam to close the day.

Bowman went 3-4 with five RBIs and three runs, including two homeruns and a walk throughout eight innings.  Karlin also went 3-4 with three RBIs, two doubles, one walk and a run.

Amaral owned two hits in the game, including one double and one RBI while freshmen Marina Kelly, Taryn Garza and Lutschg all collected one hit on the day.

Lauren Kelly started things off in the circle for Dodge City, allowing 10 hits and eight earned runs in 17 batters faced.  Rathgeber grabbed the win, advancing her record to 2-0 on the season after allowing two hits and fanning three batters in a little over four innings.

DAY 3

Day three did not prove as fruitful for the Conqs as day one and two.  With DC3 heading into the last day of the tournament 5-1 on the season and leaving the day 5-3 overall.

DC3 scored their one and only run of the day in the bottom of the first inning against El Paso Community College.  They allowed El Paso two runs in the first, third and fifth innings and four in the fourth to lose 10-1 in game one.

Karlin and Aldana each had one hit in five innings of work and Bowman collected the lone RBI. 

Sophomore Lauren Kelley started on the rubber and allowed six hits, five runs, one of which was earned, in three innings of work.  Rathgeber came in to relieve in the fourth inning, allowing five runs on five hits and one walk in eight batters faced.  Mecham closed out the fifth inning, giving up two runs and one earned run while fanning one and facing five batters total.

Game eight of the weekend and two of day three was clearly on Midland College's home turf.  Both teams remained scoreless until the third inning, when Midland unleashed their bats to score six in the third and three in the fourth, eventually winning 9-0 in five innings.

Karlin and Prester each garnered one hit against Midland.  Mecham earned the start, allowing eight hits and nine earned runs while fanning two in 22 batters faced.  Kelley closed things out in the circle, allowing one hit in the final inning of play.

So far on the season, Karlin leads the team with a .652 at the plate, 1.087 slugging and .724 on-base percentage.  She went 15-23 at the plate with eight doubles, one triple, seven RBIs and 10 runs.  She also collected six walks and three stolen bases.

Shelby Bowman leads the team with 12 RBIs after owning a .391 average in the batter's box.  She went 9-23 with one double, two homeruns and five walks on the season. 
DC3 hits the road again this weekend, heading to Borger, Texas to take on Frank Phillips and North Platte on Friday, February 20 at 1 and 3 p.m.