Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 DODGE CITY, Kan. -- The Dodge City Community College softball team got another strong outing from Kim Herron in the circle in game one to lead it to a 5-3 victory, but struggled to slow down Seward County in game two and fell to the Saints 15-7 Saturday afternoon at Legends Park.

Herron for the 11th time in 13 starts allowed three or fewer earned runs as the freshman went the distance, giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits with three strikeouts and a walk. It lowered Herron's team-leading ERA to 2.65 on the season (fifth in the KJCCC) and moved her record to 9-8 on the season.

The Conqs (14-16 overall, 6-10 KJCCC) jumped right on the Saints (18-24, 1-9) in the first inning of game one as a lead-off walk by Candace Bollig and a pair of passed balls led to an RBI single by Baylee Rial to make it 1-0.

DC3 again struck quickly in the second inning when Kayla Frazier opened the frame with a walk and Taryn Garza followed with a two-run home run to right to give DC3 a 3-0 advantage.

The Conqs eventually built a 5-1 advantage before Seward finally got something going against Herron in the sixth with three consecutive singles to load the bases with no outs. The Saints' Brittany Corrales followed with a sac fly to make it 5-2, and two batters later loaded the bases with two outs. Hannah Lopez hit an RBI single to left to make it 5-3, but Rial threw out a Saints runner at home to end the inning and keep DC3's lead at two.

The Conqs held on from there to secure the season series from Seward (DC3 swept the Saints in Liberal earlier this season) and own the tiebreaker if the two teams happen to tie in conference play.

Rial finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base for the Conqs, Bollig was 2-for-3 with a run and Garza was 1-for-3 with the two-run home run.

Kelly Kearney got the loss for Seward, going an inning and giving up three runs (two earned) on two hits with a strikeout and four walks. Kennedy Brunson and Lopez each went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Saints.

In game two the Saints jumped right on DC3 starter Mia Trujillo with three runs in the first and would jump on reliever Hannah Feagler for four runs in the second to build a 7-0 lead.

After cutting the lead to 7-2 after two innings, the Conqs had the bases loaded with two outs in the third inning when Kaylie Schoendaller ripped a bases-clearing double to right center to make it 7-5.

But DC3 never got a chance to get any closer as Seward scored eight runs in the top of the fourth to push the lead to 15-5 and the Saints held on for the 15-7 victory in five innings via mercy rule.

"Anyone who knows softball knows that the everything starts in the circle and we just didn't get off to a really good start in game two," DC3 coach Howie Smith said.

Trujillo got the loss, going an inning and giving up four runs (none earned) on three hits with a walk.

Schoendaller led DC3 at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and four RBI, Herron went 2-for-2 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs and Taylor Menard finished 3-for-4 with a run.

Jaidyn Mawhinney got the win for Seward, going three innings and giving up seven runs on nine hits with five walks and three strikeouts.

Brunson and Hannah Clark each had three hits for Seward in its 14-hit attack as nine players had an RBI for the Saints.

While the Conqs split, Smith was pleased to see the team's offense be productive after scoring just three runs in its last four games - including being shut out in the last three games.

"At least we put up 12 runs today," Smith said. "I thought some of our kids looked better in the box today than we have in the past couple of games. The continued work we've done this past week showed today."

DC3 travels to take on the Kansas Wesleyan JV on Monday before returning to KJCCC play at Barton on Saturday.