DODGE CITY, Kan. – Scoring a combined 30 runs over the course of two games, the Dodge City Community College baseball team swept a pair of seven-inning games from Otero Junior College at Cavalier Field in the 2017 home opener in Dodge City on Sunday, February 19th. 

With the victories, DC3 takes three of four games from the Rattlers on the weekend to improve to 3-1 overall while winning the final three games of the split series. Otero falls to 1-11 overall with the losses.

Game one turned out to be a wild affair, with a total of 31 runs scored and a combined 34 hits coming in the game. After Otero would take a 2-0 lead on a Will Hamilton single before DC3 would tie things at two in the bottom of the second with Cole Bergdall bringing home Gavin Gifford on a two-out single and Robert Perea scoring on a wild pitch . Dodge City would break things open in the third by scoring five runs on four hits while knocking the Rattler starting pitcher out of the game. The five run lead would be short-lived though as Otero would respond with a six-run fourth inning to reclaim an 8-7 lead, but would leave the bases loaded to end the inning. DC3 would string together three straight hits to start the bottom of the fourth to tie the game at eight when Talon Schaller would deliver the big blow with a three-run blast to left center put the Conquistadors up 11-8. The only 1-2-3 inning of the game would come in the top half of the fifth as reliever Jeremy Hidalgo would sit the Rattlers down in order allowing Dodge City to take full advantage by pushing their lead out even further on a six-hit, six-run inning as Schaller would hit his second home-run of the game to drive in another two RBI's. Otero would not go quietly, as the Rattlers would push across six runs in the top of the sixth and then get within a run before Dalton Harvey would shut the door on the Rattlers comeback to take game one.

Hidalgo would get the win in game one, throwing 2 innings and giving up five runs while striking out two. Harvey picked up the save in his first appearance of the year while Schaller would go three-for-four at the plate with two home runs. Cade Engle would also launch his first home run of the year, driving in two runs on two hits in five plate-appearances.
 
Game two would be a different story as the Conquistadors would jump out to a quick 5-0 lead after one inning of play as Isaac Snyder and Jake Pederson would both reach base safely and allow for Richard Fullerton to send one over the left field fence and bring both runners home. Schaller would then continue his big day at the plate with a ground rule double that would bring home Dauson Tate give the Conquistadors a big cushion. DC3 would push across a single run in the third before Otero would finally get on the board in the top of the fourth to make the score 6-1, taking advantage of a leadoff double. Snyder would once again safely reach base in the bottom of the fourth and advance to second on a failed pickoff attempt, allowing for Brayden Cook to drive in his only run of the game to push the lead back to six runs at 7-1 heading to the fifth inning. The Rattlers would score four in the fifth to cut the lead all the way down to 7-5, but would leave two runners on when the Conquistadors would finally get out of the inning. A Schaller double followed by a triple by Jon Coss would drive in two more runs as part of a four-run fifth inning to push the lead back to six runs at 11-5 as DC3 would match the Rattler scoring output in the fifth. Otero would manage just one hit in the sixth before Jonny Chavez would get in on the home run parade for Dodge City, taking advantage of a shifting wind to put one over the left field fence and push the DC3 lead to 13-5 after six. Needing just three outs for the victory, the Conquistadors would allow Otero to push across one run on two hits and one error in the seventh before recording the final out for the sweep.

Freshman Joe Buckendorf would pick up the win in his collegiate debut, throwing four and two-thirds innings and allowing five runs on five hits while fanning five. Gavin Gifford would toss the final 2.1 innings, allowing one run on three hits. Tate would carry the big bat in game two, finishing a perfect four-for-four at the plate and scoring all four times while Chavez had two of his three hits go for extra bases while driving in four.

A four-day road trip is next in store for Dodge City next weekend, heading to Roswell, New Mexico for a four-game series at New Mexico Military Institute next Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. (MST) against the 2-2 Broncos.