Dodge City baseball season opened on the road as the Conquistadors traveled south to Texas for a three-game series with Ranger. The Conqs would finish the series strong with a dominating 17-0 win in game three but fell 12-9 and 11-10 in the first two games to Ranger to open the season 1-2. 
 
Conqs will be back on the road on Friday and Saturday, February 11^th and 12^th as they travel to Hobbs, New Mexico to take on New Mexico Junior College in a four-game series. 
 
Game 1 – at Ranger Lost 12-9 
The Conqs offense got rolling early to open the season, but the early advantage would not hold up for the Conqs as Ranger would come from behind for the win. In the top of the first the Conqs worked the bases loaded with two-outs and Brian Hallum drew the fourth walk of the inning to get the Conqs a 1-0 lead. In the top of the second the Conqs plated three more highlighted by a Nick Mesquita RBI double and Zandt Payne two RBI single. The lead grew to 8-0 in the top of the third as the Conqs scored four more runs, but Ranger would score the next 12 runs of the game with three in the fourth and fifth innings each and then six in the bottom of the sixth. In the top of the seventh Cooper Schneider kept the Conqs hopes alive with a leadoff solo home run but that would be it as the Conqs fell 12-9 in the season opener. 
 
In the loss Mesquita was 2-4 with two runs scored, a double, two RBI, and a walk, while Payne was 2-4 with a run scored, two RBI, and a walk. Schneider finished 2-4 with three runs scored, an RBI, home run, and walk, while Ethan Hewell also had two hits. Conqs as a hit had 11 hits and drew 10 walks while Ranger recorded 15 hits. 
 
On the mound Tristan Wolf started the contest and went four innings giving up three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts. Josh Nolte, Ashton Jenkins, and Shea Walker all also pitched in the game. 
 
Game 2 – at Ranger Lost 11-10
Offense came early again in game two, but the contest would be back and forth and the Conqs would trail by five late battling back to tie the game only to see Ranger snag the win in the bottom of the ninth. Conqs got on the board in the top of the first with three runs with a Carter Olson two RBI single highlighting the frame; Ranger answered with two in the bottom of the first. Conqs would tack on a run in the top of the third but Ranger countered with three in the bottom of the third, then add two more in the fourth and fifth innings each, while the Conqs only tallied one more run during that time frame. Ranger made it 10-5 with another run in the bottom of the seventh and it remained that way until the top of the ninth. The Conqs would not go down quietly scoring five runs to tie the game in the ninth and doing so with two-outs, as a Hewell two RBI single and Andrew Detlefsen RBI single highlighted the comeback. In the bottom of the ninth Ranger would manage another run to snare the win, 11-10. 
 
Conqs in the loss saw Hewell finish 2-4 with five RBI and a run scored, while Olson was 2-4 with two RBI, a run scored, and walk. On the mound Zack Robinson got the start while Brian Hallum highlighted the pitching performances for the Conqs tossing three innings giving up just one run on one hit and one walk with three strikeouts. 
 
Game 3 – at Ranger Won 17-0 
The series finale saw early offense once again by the Conqs as an Olson RBI single got the Conqs on the board with a run in the first and another run was added in the second. Up 2-0 entering the third the Conqs offense broke things open with seven runs in the inning capitalizing on five walks, three hits, and some Ranger miscues. Olson notched an RBI double, Donnie Rhyne added a two RBI single, and a sacrifice fly by Alex Galyean highlighted the seven run third. The Conqs would work out of a pair of bases loaded situations defensively leading to the sixth inning when they would add eight more runs to ultimately secure a 17-0 win. 
 
In the win the Conqs out-hit Ranger 13-4 while Ranger had five errors in the contest. Olson had a strong performance going 3-4 with two doubles, two runs scored, and two RBI, while Rhyne added a 2-4 showing with two runs scored and two RBI. Galyean would finish 1-3 with one run scored and three RBI. 
 
On the mound Justus Revill earned the win tossing five innings of scoreless baseball giving up just three hits and five walks, while striking out two. Zade Cisneros toss the final inning of the contest.