It was an offensive outpouring that helped the Dodge City baseball team improve to 4-0 to start the 2022 season as they picked up two wins at home over McCook 15-5 in six innings and 16-6 in seven innings of a scheduled nine-inning game.
The Conquistadors scored 31 runs on 27 hits in between the two games with the McCook Indians after beating Highland in two close contests on Friday to open the season.
Up next the Conqs are headed to Texas for the next three weekends and are set to start that with a trip to play Weatherford who is 9-0 to open the season.
Saturday Game – 15-5 win vs McCook (6 innings)
After a one-two-three top of the first inning defensively the Conqs bats were alive early against McCook scoring six runs in the bottom of the first inning.
James Dunlap led the action off with a double for the Conqs, while four walks, four hits, and a sacrifice fly all produced the six runs. The highlight of the inning was the Conqs first home run of the season as
Trevor Blackwell blasted a two-run shot. Conqs padded the lead with two more runs in the bottom of the second and then added three more in the third highlighted by a
James Dunlap two-RBI triple to make it 11-2 after three innings as McCook scored in the top of the frame. After McCook found a few more runs the Conqs tallied a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth innings to cap the game at 15-5 in six innings.
At the plate, Dunlap had a three-hit day going 3-5 with three runs scored, a triple, a double, and three RBI. Blackwell posted a 2-4 showing with two runs scored, two RBI, and a home run, as seven different Conqs had a hit in the win. On the mound,
Blake Anderson picked up the win working 3.1 innings giving up three runs on two hits and a walk while striking out three.
Jacob Loflin and
Cade Kelsey saw action out of the bullpen to finish the game.
Sunday Game – 16-6 win vs McCook (7 innings)
The final game of the season-opening homestand for the Conqs was a scheduled nine-inning contest against McCook but the bats were still hot for the Conqs and the contest would end a bit earlier.
McCook got on the board early plating three runs in the first inning capitalizing on a pair of Conq errors and a couple of walks. The Conqs answered in the bottom of the first scoring three runs as they had four-straight hits with one out in the inning including an RBI triple by
Carson Wright and the game was tied 3-3 after one inning. McCook pushed the lead back to three by scoring two runs in the second and another in the third, but that lead didn't hold up. In the bottom of the third, the Conqs offense exploded for eight runs with five extra-base hits highlighting the inning. Another run in the fifth and four more in the bottom of the eighth and the Conqs picked up the 16-6 win.
Nine different Conqs had a hit with 17 total hits and 12 going for extra bases in the game including a 5-5 showing by
Aidan Proctor who finished with three runs scored, two RBI, three triples, and a double. Blackwell was 4-5 in the game with three runs scored, five RBI, and two triples. Dunlap went 2-5 with two runs scored, an RBI, a double, and a home run.
On the mound,
Diego Dominguez tossed two innings giving up five runs but only two earned on three hits and four walks and struck out five.
Tristan Wolf in relief tossed four strong innings giving up one unearned run on one hit and five walks and struck out seven.
