The recent home stretch continued for the Dodge City softball team as they hosted #6 Butler for a Jayhawk Conference doubleheader and the Conquistadors fell behind early and were unable to recover falling 18-1 and 11-3 both in five innings. 
 
The pair of losses move the Conqs to 8-14 on the season and 4-6 in KJCCC action. Up next is a road trip to Great Bend to play Barton for a KJCCC doubleheader on Wednesday, March 23rd. 
 
Game 1 – vs Butler (Lost 18-1 in 5 innings)
 
Butler jumped up early against the Conqs in the first inning plating three runs despite Conq starter, Raemie Lopp striking out the side. The Conqs answered by manufacturing a run in the bottom of the first to make it 2-1 Butler after one inning. In the top of the second things got away from the Conqs as Butler used 13 hits to post 16 runs in the inning. The Conqs would have limited opportunities throughout the remainder of the contest and would fall 18-1 in five innings. 
 
Offensively the Conqs had just three hits as Hadlee Richardson was 2-2 and Kalei Villegas went 1-2 and reached on an error along with her hit. Melanie Castro scored the Conqs lone run after she was hit by a pitch in her first at-bat. In the circle Lopp, Alicyn O'Neill, and Alexis Holman all saw action. 
 
Game 2 – vs Butler (Lost 11-3 in 5 innings)
 
Conqs saw Butler take the early advantage in the second game of the doubleheader just like game one. The Grizzles of Butler tallied a pair of runs in the second and then extended their lead with six runs in the third and two more in the fourth and another in the fifth to lead 11-0. The Conqs continued to battle to the end scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth on as Addison Spencer reached on an error, then AJ Poell had a double, and Jennifer Katz brought them in with a three-run home run, but the Conqs were unable to score enough to keep the game going falling 11-3 in five innings. 
 
Katz finished 1-1 with a three-run home run and a walk, while Poell had a run scored and double, Castro added an infield hit and Stephanie Torres had a hit. In the circle, K'lee Flores, Destiny Saldivar, and Danika Utajara all saw action for the Conqs.