DODGE CITY, Kan. - A high powered Colby Community College offense would prove to be too much for the Dodge City Community College softball team who would drop their regular-season finale by scores of 8-3 and 9-5 at Legends Park in Dodge City on Sunday, April 23rd. 

DC3 heads into postseason play next week with an overall record of 23-17 and finishes the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference portion of their schedule 11-13 overall while the Lady Trojans improved to 29-17 overall and 14-10 in the KJCCC. 

The Conquistadors would match Colby step-for-step through the first two innings of play in game one before a total of six runs in the third through fifth innings would prove to be the difference in the game. CCC would open the scoring with a two-out fielding error by Baylee Rial which would allow for a runner on first to come around and score. 

Dodge City would respond with an unearned run of their own after Kylie Fox would get on via a fielding error by the Colby shortstop before stealing second and coming home on an Adreanna Guerrero single to right field. 

Colby would then re-take the lead in the top of the third with two runs on three hits before tacking on three runs in the fourth and one in the fifth to take a commanding 6-1 lead through four innings of play. 

Solo runs in the fifth and seventh innings would extend the CCC lead to 8-1 heading into DC3's final three outs as the Conquistadors would score runs on a Sydni Odegard RBI fielder's choice and Taylor Menard RBI single before seeing the game come to an end on a groundout. 

Kim Herron (16-9) would take the loss in the game after throwing three innings and giving up six runs (five earned) on seven hits and striking out two while issuing four wallks. Cassie Overturf and Makayla Tegtmeier would each work two innings in relief. Guerrero would lead Dodge City with a two-for-three effort at the plate while Fox would collect the Conquistadors only extra-base hit of the game with a double. 

With NJCAA Region VI Tournament seeding already determined heading into game two against the Trojans, head coach Howie Smith would make some adjustments to the lineup which would see Dodge City outhit Colby 13-12 but allow three unearned runs in the game on two errors. 

Colby would take the lead in the top of the first with three runs before Dodge City woudl respond with a Menard RBI single in the bottom of the first to cut the lead down to 3-1 heading to the second. 

Things would go from bad to worse as CCC would add two in the second, one in the third and two in the fourth to take an 8-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth as DC3 could not get anything going on the offensive side of things. 

Fortunes would start to change as Colby would make a pitching change to start the bottom of the fourth, allowing for the Conquistadors to take advantage of a Lady Trojan error and score a total of four runs on five hits and get back in the game by cutting the lead down to 8-5 heading to the fifth. 

A 1-2-3 top of the fifth would bring Dodge City back up to bat with momentum, but DC3 would leave two of their 11 runners on base in the inning with the frame coming to a close with runners on second and third. 

Colby would push their lead back to four at 9-5 to lead off the top of the sixth with a solo home run which would wind up being the final score as neither team would add any runs down the stretch. 

Jordyn McDaniel (7-7) would be one of three DC3 pitchers used in the game, throwing the first 3.2 innings and giving up eight runs (five earned) on nine hits and issuing three walks before turning the ball over to Matti Tieben. Tieben would throw one and a third innings of scoreless softball before Overturf would come in for the second time on the day to throw the final two innings. 

Sophomores Menard and Baylee Rial would each record three hits in the game to lead DC3 with Menard driving in one run. A total of 15 Conquistadors would see action in the game. 

The NJCAA Region VI Tournament is scheduled to get underway next Friday, April 28th in El Dorado, Kansas as KJCCC regular-season champion Butler Community College has earned the right to host the seven-team, double-elimination tournament. DC3 and Colby will open the tournament with a 1 p.m. matchup in the number. 4 vs. number. 5 seed with the winner moving on to face the number one nationally-ranked Grizzlies on Saturday. Other first round matchups will be determined following the conclusion of the KJCCC regular-season on Monday afternoon.