(Hutchinson, KS.) -- The Conq pitching staff has been struggling lately and that continued Friday, as they gave up seventeen runs in the doubleheader. Fortunately, their offense was up to the task in game two earning the split, losing game one 8-3, and winning the second 12-9.
Game one started off promising for the Conquistadors, with Garrett McGowan hitting a solo home run in the top half of the first inning. That promise would not last very long, however, as Hutchinson Community College would answer with a run in the bottom half and then quickly take control of the game with a five-run second inning. The Conqs added a run in the third on a Logan Murany RBI double. The Conqs would threaten in the sixth when Ryan Santos knocked in an RBI on a base hit. The Conqs had two runners on base but were not able to do anything with it and that was all the offense would produce in game one. Hutchinson scored one more in the fourth inning and did not need any more as they cruised to an 8-3 victory.
Cameron Fritz, Ryan Armstrong, and Murany all had multi-hit games going 2-3. Padraic Walsh got the start, and pitched 4.2 innings, giving up five earned runs, on eight hits. He did not get much help from his defense on this day as the Conqs committed four errors leading to three unearned runs scored by the Blue Dragons.
The Bats in game two started slow, but eventually, they would get going but not until after Hutchinson got out to a 3-0 lead, scoring one in the second, and two in the third. In the fourth the Conq offense was awakened by A Garrett McGowan home run, it was a two-run homer and his sixth of the season. Hutchinson Community College would answer with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning on a pair of triples and a base hit to take a 6-2 lead. The fifth would be the inning that the Conqs took control and propelled them to the eventual victory. Drake Angeron knocked in the first run on a base hit, then Logan Mackay would score on a wild pitch. A couple of batters later, Spencer Marcus would walk up to the plate with the bases load and would blast a grand slam. It was his sixth home run of the year and would give him twenty-six RBI's. The Conqs would add four more in the sixth with Armstrong scoring on a wild pitch, and Fritz knocking in three runs on a double. Hutch would add a run each in the sixth, seventh, and ninth innings to keep it close but Dodge City would hold on for the 12-9 victory.
Despite scoring twelve runs, the Conqs only had seven hits, and just one person with a multi-hit game. Angeron went 2-4. The Conqs struggled again defensively, not doing their pitchers any favors by committing five errors.
The Conquistadors will be at home at Cavalier Field on Monday taking on Tabor College JV.
MEDIA: For more information, please contact Sports Information Director Josh Van Valkenburg-Gernert at 620-227-9414.
Photo ID: Attached is a shot of Spencer Marcus and Cameron Fritz celebrating a home run.
