Conquistadors Split a Pair of Extra Inning Games

The Dodge City Conquistador softball team welcomed the Lamar Lopes to Legends Park on Tuesday, splitting a pair of contests that both went into extra innings.

Holding the lead heading into the top of the 7^th in both games, the Cardiac Conqs allowed Lamar to tie the game in both instances while unable to score a run in the bottom of the 7^th, forcing extra innings.

In game one, it was a three-run 8^th for the Lopes that became the deciding factor in a 6-4 defeat of the Conquistadors. As for game two, a Conquistador defensive stand held the Lopes scoreless and a passed ball in the 8^th brought home KarliAnn Bauer to give the Conqs an 8-7 victory.

"It's certainly frustrating that we lost game one, especially the way we let them tie it up in the 7^th, but I was proud of the way we bounced back in game two to get the win," said head coach Howie Smith. "We have talked until we are blue in the face about executing on the offensive side and going back to the basics of fundamental hitting, but we continue to revert back to what muscle memory tells us to do. Unfortunately, for the most part, what muscle memory is telling us isn't productive right now. It's the old adage, if you keep getting the same results doing the same thing, and those results are not what you want, you might want to make a change. We'll make the right changes and correct it moving forward."

Game One | 6-4 L

The Conquistadors took a 2-0 lead after Makayla Garcia brought in a run on a single in the 1^st inning and Destiny Saldivar brought in another in the 3^rd, but the Lopes were able to tie the contest off a two-run home run in the 4^th inning.

Saldivar gave the Conqs what appeared the be the game winning run off a double to left field, but a late error doomed the Conquistadors and opened the door for a pesky Lamar team.

With one out and no runners on base in the top of the 7^th inning, a routine fly ball dropped by first baseman Makayla Garcia allowed a Lope runner on base. Lamar would eventually score on a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3-3.

Garcia recovered tremendously from the error with a leadoff double to center field in the bottom of the 7^th inning but the Conquistadors were unable to advance her any further and Lamar forced extra innings.

With the International Tie Breaker (ITB) rule that allows a runner to begin extra innings on second base in place, the Lopes took advantage and scored three runs in the top of the 8^th inning.

The Conqs were able to score one run off a Lamar error but that's all the momentum they could gain as they fell 6-4.

Offensively, Saldivar was the only multi-hit Conquistador as she went 2-4 with a double and two RBIs. Makayla Kolojay got the start on the day allowing six hits and five runs, with only two of those being earned runs. She also struck out five and walked five.

Game Two | 8-7 W

After the two teams traded two runs each in the 1^st inning, Makayla Garcia broke up the scoring with a three-run home run in the 4^th inning to give the Conquistadors a 5-2 lead.

Lamar immediately responded with a bases loaded double to clear the bases with two outs in the top of the 5^th inning. The Conqs took the lead right back with one run each in the 5^th and 6^th innings, giving them a two-run lead heading into the 7^th inning.

Errors plagued the Conqs again in the 7^th, allowing the Lopes to score one run off a botched defense of a bunt by second basemen Stephanie Torres. Lamar tied the game on a single to center field, forcing extra innings once again.

After some brilliant defensive stops by third basemen Ollievia Lowe, it was the Conquistadors who took advantage of the ITB in the bottom of the 8^th. KarliAnn Bauer was able to advance to third on a groundout by the Conqs and she scored two pitches later off a wild pitch by Lamar to give Dodge City the 8-7 victory.

Dodge City was led by Garcia's 2-4 outing as she registered four RBIs and scored twice herself, accounting for six of the eight Conquistador runs scored. Destiny Saldivar got her first collegiate start going 5.1 innings, giving up seven hits, five earned runs, and striking out three.

The Conquistadors move to 6-4 on the season and remain at 1-1 in KJCCC play. They resume Jayhawk Conference play on Saturday, March 20^th when they welcome the Pratt Beavers to Legends Park for a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 pm and the games will be live streamed.