DODGE CITY, Kan. - Behind two complete-game performances on the mound, the Dodge City Community College baseball team got more than enough run support to breeze out to a weekend opening sweep of Pratt, winning by final scores of 12-4 and 14-2 in a pair of seven-inning games at Cavalier Field on Friday, April 14th. 

DC3 improved to 27-13-1 on the year and 14-8 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference with the wins while the Beavers dropped to 16-26 and 5-17 in the KJCCC. 

Tommy Knowlton would get off to a shaky start in game one on the mound before settling down, allowing two runs in the top of the first and sixth innings while allowing just one hit to PCC outside of those innings. Pratt would take advantage of a wild pitch on a strikeout with two outs to start the game, stringing together three consecutive singles after the strikeout to push two runs across the board and take an early lead. Dodge City would respond with a a Talon Schaller two-out RBI double to right field to score Cade Engle before Dauson Tate would knot the game at two on an RBI single to score Schaller. 

The Conquistadors would take the lead for good in the bottom of the second as an Engle triple would score Cole Bergdall before things would settle down until the bottom of the fifth. 

Five runs on six hits for DC3 in the bottom of the fifth would chase Pratt starting pitcher Nate McBroom out of the game as Robert Perea would welcome relief pitcher Jared Jones into the game with a bases-clearing three-RBI double down the right field line and give Dodge City a commanding 8-2 lead. 

PCC would take advantage of a leadoff walk and double to left field to score on runs on two consecutive RBI ground outs to cut the lead to 8-4 and stay within striking distance. Brayden Cook would answer the call in the bottom of the sixth by pushing the Conquistador lead back to six runs on a two-run home run to left before Richard Fullerton would add to the lead iwth a one out, two-RBI double. 

Knowlton would get a double-play to erase a leadoff walk before a groundout would end the game to improve the freshman to 5-2 on the season while striking out five. Of the 17 hits by Dodge City, 13 would come from the top-half of the order with Engle going three-for-four at the dish with two runs scored and one RBI. Schaller would be one of six DC3 players to collect two hits while scoring a game-high three times. 

Outside of a pair of solo home runs by the Beavers in game two, Conquistador starter would pitch an absolute gem and giving Pratt no chance at salvaging a split on the day. DC3 would never trail in the game, jumping out to a 3-0 lead after one inning of play and putting up a four-spot on Schaller's second grand slam of the year to clear the bases. 

The Beavers would threaten to push a run across in the third, moving two-out walk to second on a wild pitch before an inning-ending groundout would bring the Conquistador bats back to work where their lead would be extended to 8-0. 

Pratt would hit a leadoff solo home run in the top of the fourth to break up Davey's no-hit and shutout bid, but would leave the bases loaded to end the inning. 

The bottom of the fifth would see Engle launch a two-run home run to center field to put DC3 in double-digits for the second time on the day to take a 10-1 lead as Davey would strike out two of the three batters he would face in the sixth to set down PCC in order. 

Fullerton would join the home run parade with a leadoff solo home run to right field before Engle would launch his second homer of the game by taking advantage of a brisk wind blowing straight out to center field to put DC3 up 14-1 and three outs away from the victory. 

The Beavers would salvage a two-out solo home run to put up one more run before seeing the game end on one of Davey's 12 strikeouts. 

Combining a four-for-four game with five RBI with game one's numbers, Engle would finish seven-for-eight at the plate on the day with six RBI and two home runs while adding a double and triple. Schaller would match Engle with five runs batted in while scoring twice with Bergdall going two-for-three with three runs scored. 

With 10 KJCCC games left in the regular-season, the Conquistadors will close out their four-game set with Pratt with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Cavalier Field on Saturday, April 14th. A sweep would give DC3 their second Jayhawk Conference weekend sweep of the year after taking a four-game series from Cloud County to open KJCCC play earlier this year.