DODGE CITY, Kan. - Sophomore pitcher Kim Herron would pick up both wins on the day to propel the Dodge City Community College softball team to a Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference sweep of Garden City by scores of 10-1 in five innings and 8-4 at Legends Park in Dodge City on Saturday, April 8th. 

Winners of five-straight games, DC3 is now 21-11 on the season and 9-7 in the KJCCC while the Lady Broncbusters slipped to 12-26 and 1-11 in the Jayhawk Conference. 

Game one would see GCCC take a 1-0 lead after half an inning of play, but the Conquistadors would respond in a big way by scoring a single run in the bottom of the first followed by seven in the second and four in the fourth to win the game via mercy rule after five innings. 

Brittney Gonzalez would get things going for Dodge City with a leadoff single and steal second before being moved over on a sacrifice bunt. Taylor Menard would drive home Gonzalez on a fielder's choice tie the game at one after one inning of play. 

The bottom of the second would see the flood gates open for DC3 as the first four Conquistadors batters would reach base before the first out being recorded on an RBI sacrifice bunt by Gonzalez. Having batted around the order, Dodge City would wind up sending 12 batters to the plate in the inning, with the final three runs of the inning coming across as unearned runs. 

Garden City would respond with what would appear to be a single run in the top of the third, but an inning-ending double play after a Lady Broncbuster baserunner failed tag would be credited on appeal to wipe out a would-be sacrifice fly and keep the score at 8-1. 

Things would settle down until the bottom of the fourth when a kylie Fox one-out single followed by Morgan Ihle double down the left field line would put two runners in scoring position for Brooklyn Botts. Botts would foul out to the catcher, bringing up Adreanna Guerrero who would deliver with a two-RBI single to right field to put DC3 up 10-1 and three outs away from a win. 

GCCC managed to collect back-to-back one-out singles before a foul-out and flyout would end the game to give Herron the complete game win. 

Guerrero had one of three extra-base hits by the Conquistadors in the game while driving in a game-high four runs while Baylee Rial would go one-for-two with triple and two RBI. 

A bit more excitement would ensue in game two as both teams once again found themselves tied after one inning of play with a run each before three consecutive scoreless innings to send things to the top of the fifth. Back-to-back one-out singles would put runners on first and second for GCCC bringing up clean-up hitter Erica Vessels who would clear the bases with one swing to reclaim the lead at 4-1 and DC3 in a serious hole. The Conquistadors would escape the inning without any more damage done, but with work to do to get back into the game. 

Taking advantage of a leadoff error, Sabrina Romero would sacrifice bunt Guerrero into scoring position before Rial and Gonzalez would collect consecutive singles to pull DC3 within two at 4-2. Breanna Guerrero would keep things rolling with a third straight single to score both Rial and Gonzalez and tie the game at four as Dodge City would be given new life heading ot the top of the sixth. 

The Conquistadors would make a pitching change and call on Herron to do what she has done all year against the Lady Broncbusters and possibly pick up her fourth win of the year over Garden City as the Shawnee, Oklahoma native would set down GCCC down in order. 

DC3's first lead of the game would come in the bottom of the sixth as Botts would lead off the inning with a single to center field and move to second on a sacrifice bunt before Romero would come through in the clutch with an RBI triple down the right field line and put the Conquistdors up 5-4. Dodge City would manage to score three additional insurance runs to go up 8-4 heading to the seventh. Garden City would not get an opportunity to tie things up as Herron would give up only a leadoff single before three straight flyouts to end the game and earn her second win of the day to improve to 14-5 on the year. 

Gonzalez, Breanna Guerrero, and Menard would take care of business at the top of the order for the Conquistadors, managing to combine for five hits and five RBI while scoring three additional runs to account for all eight runs in the game. Gonzalez and Breanna Guerrero along with Rial would all swipe one base. 

Monday, April 10th will see Dodge City back in action with a 2 p.m. road doubleheader at conference foe Barton Community College, with a chance to move up in the KJCCC standings. Currently, the Conquistadors and Cougars are tied for third in the conference as Barton has played four less games than DC3 (Barton is 7-5 in the KJCCC, DC3 is 9-7).