For the first time since 2017, the Dodge City baseball team picked up a series win over the Pratt Beavers with a split of their doubleheader at home on Saturday, falling 9-4 in game one and claiming a 25-14 win in game two.
The split ultimately gave the Conquistadors three wins of the four-game series with Pratt and moved the Conqs to 20-17 on the season and 10-10 in KJCCC action.
Conqs hit the road for some non-conference action on Monday, April 11th for their next contests as they will travel to Alva, Oklahoma to take on Northwestern Oklahoma State JV. Conqs will then host Otero on April 19th for a doubleheader and then get back to KJCCC action on April 21st when they open the series with Butler.
Game 1 – vs Pratt Lost 9-4
Despite taking the early lead the Conqs would see Pratt use some late offense to take the first game 9-4. Conqs got on the board in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly by
Kory Schmidt and then made it 2-0 with another run in the bottom of the second on a
James Dunlap RBI double. A
Jake Miller solo home run made it 3-0 Conqs after three innings of action, but Pratt tied it on one swing with a three-run home run in the fourth. In the fifth Pratt took the lead behind a pair of runs making it 5-3 but the Conqs answered with a run in the 6th to make it a one-run game at 5-4 Pratt. In the top of the seventh Pratt pushed their lead back out making it 9-4 and the Conqs managed to get a hit in the bottom of the seventh but ultimately fell 9-4.
In the loss Miller led the Conqs offense going 2-3 with a home run, double, two runs scored, and an RBI. While Dunlap finished 2-4 with a double and RBI;
Aidan Proctor and
Trevor Blackwell were the only other Conqs to notch a hit in the loss.
Blake Anderson was solid in the loss tossing all seven innings giving up nine runs but only six earned on nine hits and two walks while striking out five.
Game 2 – vs Pratt Won 25-14
The series finale saw Pratt take the early lead scoring a run in the first and then three more in the third before the Conqs broke through in the bottom of the third. In the bottom of the third, an RBI double by Proctor got the Conqs on the board and a two-run home run by
Carson Wright made it a one-run game after four innings as Pratt led 4-3. Pratt however churned out six runs in the top of the fifth to grow their lead to 10-3 but the Conqs answered in a big way with eight runs in the bottom of the fifth. After picking up a pair of runs on bases-loaded walks, Wright stepped up to the plate and blasted his second home run of the game this time a grand slam, and brought the Conqs to within one. The lead flipped to the Conqs later in the fifth when Blackwell tattooed a two-run home run to make it 11-10 Conqs. Pratt would get a run in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 11 but the Conqs again answered scoring seven in the bottom of the sixth. A
Cale Blasi three-run home run and an RBI triple by Miller highlighted the sixth for the Conqs. After Pratt scored three more in the top of the seventh the Conqs finished the game in the bottom of the seventh behind another seven-run inning. Wright belted his third home run of the game this time a two-run shot, and Miller finished the game on a two-run home run in the inning giving the Conqs the 25-14 win in seven innings.
Wright led the Conqs offensively going 3-4 with eight RBI, three home runs, a walk, and three runs scored. Blackwell added a 3-3 game with five RBI, a home run, three runs scored, while Dunlap was 3-4 with three runs scored, an RBI, walk, and two doubles. Miller posted a 2-5 showing with three runs scored, three RBI, a walk, a home run, and a triple. Blasi and Procter each added a two-hit game.
Tristan Wolf and
Diego Dominguez both pitched in the contest with Dominguez in relief earning the win.
