Conquistadors Split Sunday Series with Hesston College

The wind has a way of being a major player on diamonds throughout southwest Kansas. The Conquistadors' Sunday tilt with the Hesston College Larks was no exception to that rule.

The Dodge City Community College softball program split a pair of games on Sunday, February 28^th with Hesston College at Legends Park. The Conquistadors lost the first game 9-4 but bounced back to win the second 3-1.

"I'm proud of the kids for the way they bounced back after the first game loss," said head coach Howie Smith. "We have to get better offensively with runners in scoring position, though. We left a lot of funs out on the base paths today."

Game 1 – 9-4 L

The Conquistadors struck first with a run each in the first and second innings. After getting hit by a pitch and stealing both second and third base, Olivia Ortiz was brought home on an AJ Poell groundout. In the 2^nd inning, Danika Utajara hit a missile that found itself going straight for center field before the Kansas wind gold ahold of it, hooking it over the left field fence to put the Conquistadors up 2-0.

The middle innings belonged to the Hesston Larks as they put up all nine of their runs in the 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th innings; including a five-run 5^th inning. The Conquistadors tried to battle back with another Poell RBI to bring in Daysha Mendez. Mendez did her part in the 7^th reaching first base with two outs on a Lark error to bring home Stephanie Torres, but the effort was too late as Olivia Ortiz struck out to end the game.

Utajara finished the first game going 3-4 with a home run and an RBI. KarliAnn Bauer went 2-2 with two walks. The rest of the Conquistadors combined for five hits, while stranding 23 runners on base. Makayla Kolojay got the nod on the mound and picked up the loss in a 4.1 IP, five strikeout effort as she gave up five runs, four of them earned.

Game 2 – 3-1 W

As the sun started to set and that wind got a little colder, both teams had to rely on execution in their attempt to come out victorious.

Dodge City struck first once again, this time on a Danika Utajara single to bring in Makayla Garcia in the 3^rd inning. A Daysha Mendez RBI single drove home Madyson McCage in the 4^th to give the Conquistadors a little more cushion in a game that was sure to be a defensive battle.

The Larks found the scoreboard in the 5^th with an RBI single resulting from an AJ Poell error, but it would be their only run of the contest. The Conqs gave themselves an insurance run in the 6^th as Poell made amends with an RBI single to score Caroline Stephenson.

The Larks couldn't get anything going in the 7^th as Utajara finished out her complete game as she went the distance only allowing three hits and no earned runs as she moves to 2-0 on the season.

The Conquistadors move to 3-1 on the young season.

Dodge City is back in action on Sunday, March 7^th when they travel to Hesston College to return the favor and play a Sunday double header. Games are scheduled for 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm CST.

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