Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 DODGE CITY, Kansas:  Dodge City baseball was halfway to Oz today after 36 MPH winds and 46 MPH gusts of wind filtered through Cavalier Field during the Conqs doubleheader with Otero Junior College.

DC3 split the day with OJC, taking the first game 4-1 before falling 6-3 in game two.
 
Dodge came prepared for the wind in game one, knocking in two runs to start out the game in the first inning. 
 
Johnny Balsamo started things with a walk, stole second and then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Colbey Madewell.  He scored when Leno Ramirez poked a groundout to the first baseman. 
 
Josh Williams then kept things going with a single up the middle and Jordan Doan doubled to left field to post another run.
 
The Conqs put one run in both the fourth and fifth innings as well, going up 4-0 with a few innings left to play. 
 
In the fourth, Doan led the inning with a beat out single to third base and advanced to second on a throwing error by the third baseman.  He advanced to third on a groundout by Ricky Trammell and scored on a well-placed squeeze bunt by Frankie Valle.
 
Balsamo started out the fifth inning with a single to third base, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher.  He then scored on a sacrifice fly and fielding error by Ramirez for the Conqs fourth run of the day.
 
Otero put one run on in the seventh inning before the Conqs closed out the game with the 4-1 victory.
 
Doan led the team with a 2-3 performance at the plate, along with one RBI and one run on the day.  Balsamo, Williams, Trammell and Valle each tabbed a hit in the game and Valle also owned one RBI in the game.
 
Matthew Perea (3-1) earned the win after tossing 4.0 innings, scattering three hits and fanning four while keeping the Rattlers scoreless.  Cory Royer worked the middle of the game, allowing one run on two hits after 2.2 innings of work and Adam Rutz picked up his first save of the season after coming in and striking out the last batter of the game to close things up.
 
The wind picked up in game two and rattled the Conqs just enough to let the Rattlers secure the 6-3 win.
 
Dodge gave up one run in the first before tying things up in the second.  Otero then placed three runs in the third inning to go up by two.  DC3 scored again in the fourth, but OJC kept piling on runs with one in the fifth and seventh.
 
In a last effort, Dodge crossed one in the seventh on three walks and a fielder's choice option by Ramirez that scored B.J. Thieben. 
 
Jason Nichols and Frankie Valle had hits in the game while Ramirez and Max Laney picked up RBIs.  Hayden Simmons reached base twice on walks and owned one stolen base and two runs on the day.
 
Five pitchers took the mound against the Rattlers and the win.  Cameron Brockhoff gets charged with the loss after giving up four runs, including two earned runs, on two hits.  He struck out one in three innings pitched.
 
Austin Hammer, Garrett Hammond, Phillip Albracht and Anthony Bowmaker each pitched an inning apiece to close the game.
 
Hammer fanned three after four batter's faced and did not give up any hits.  Hammond allowed one unearned run on two hits, Albracht shut the inning down with three consecutive outs and Bowmaker fanned one and allowed one unearned run on one hit after four batter's faced.
 
This weekend, the Conqs head to Barton on Saturday and Sunday, March 28-29 to challenge BCC in a four-game series.  Doubleheaders on each day begin at 1 p.m.