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Box Score 2 PRATT, Kan. -- Don't look now but the Dodge City Community College softball team might be peaking at just the right time.
The Conquistadors got a pair of strong performances in the circle against Pratt on the road to sweep the Beavers, 7-2 and 5-1, to improve their win streak to five games and even their record overall (19-19) and in KJCCC play (11-11).
The wins keep DC3 two games ahead of Seward (which is 7-11 in KJCCC play) for the important fourth spot in the conference - a spot that will make whoever gets that position the home team (the games will be played at the conference champion's park) in the No. 4 vs. No. 5 matchup in the regional tournament. DC3, which has two games left in the regular season, owns the tiebreaker with Seward, having won three of their four matchups.
"These were two huge wins for us at a place historically we haven't always played well at," DC3 coach
Howie Smith said. "We got pitching, good defense and timely hitting to get our record back to .500 overall and in conference. We want to be playing our best softball at the end of the season and we've won five in a row."
The first game Friday was scoreless heading into the fourth when
Marina Kelly led off the inning with a double.
Heather Amen reached first on a bunt while moving Kelly to third before a bunt by
Taylor Menard scored Kelly to give the Conqs a 1-0 lead (Menard also reached on her bunt).
With runners on second and third,
Kaylie Schoendaller came through with a two-run single to give DC3 a 3-0 advantage heading into the bottom of the fourth.
Pratt (11-27-1, 5-15) cut the lead to 3-2 in its half of the fourth before
Kayla Frazier hit a two-run double to highlight a three-run sixth inning for the Conqs to make it 6-2. DC3 tacked on one more in the seventh on a Schoendaller sac fly to make the final 7-2.
Kim Herron picked up the win for DC3, going the distance and giving up two runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
In game two the Conqs and Beavers again went scoreless early before an Amen RBI single to right field scored Frazier to make it 1-0 DC3 in the top of the third.
A
Candace Bollig homer to lead off the fourth made it 2-0 and later in the inning after a Schoendaller double, Rial hit an RBI single to score pinch-runner
Whitney Miller to make it 3-0.
Pratt got something going in the second when DC3 starter
Mia Trujillo walked two of the first three batters of the inning and was replaced in the circle by Herron. After giving up an RBI single that cut the DC3 lead to 3-1, Herron got the next two hitters out to end the threat.
The Conqs added insurance in the seventh on an RBI triple from Amen and a sac fly by Bollig to make it 5-1 and DC3 held on from there.
Herron got the win, going 3.2 innings and giving up no runs on two hits with two strikeouts and no walks. Trujillo was effective as well for DC3, going the first 3.1 innings and giving up a run on one hit with a strikeout and three walks.
Kelly, Amen and Schoendaller each finished with two hits for the Conqs.
DC3 plays its home and regular-season finale 2 p.m. Thursday against Butler at Legends Park.
