Dodge City baseball hit the road for early week action on Spring Break on Tuesday with a non-conference doubleheader against Otero and picked up 12-10 and 6-3 victories.
The pair of wins moves the Conquistadors to 11-13 on the season giving the Conqs a four-game winning streak and wins in seven of the last eight games.
Up next is a quick turnaround playing Garden City on Wednesday, March 15th to open up their second KJCCC series of the season as the Conqs will host the Broncbusters for a 1:00 pm doubleheader.
Game 1 – Won 12-10 at Otero
It was early and often scoring throughout game one that paced the Conqs past Otero in game one. The Conqs got on the board in the first inning as
Nick Mesquita opened the game with a single and stole second to then score on an RBI single by
Cooper Tomkinson and the Conqs added another in the first to lead 2-0. An RBI double by Tomkinson and RBI single by
Zandt Payne highlighted the second helping the Conqs double their lead. In the third, the Conqs doubled their score again this time scoring four highlighted by a two-RBI double from Tomkinson leading to an 8-1 lead. In the fourth, a
Peter Tassler RBI double scored another run for the Conqs. Otero countered with two runs in the bottom of the fourth, one in the fifth, and five in the sixth which made it 10-9 entering the seventh. In the top of the seventh, the Conqs took advantage of some mistakes by Otero to tally two runs and push the lead back out, Otero got a run in the bottom of the seventh but ultimately the Conqs secured the 12-10 win.
Conqs had 15 hits in the win led by four multi-hit games. Tomkinson was 4-5 with four runs scored, four RBI, a stolen base, and a double, while Mesquita went 3-5 with three runs scored and a stolen base. Payne added a 3-3 performance with two RBI and a stolen base, while Tassler was 2-3 with two runs scored, two RBI, a walk, a home run, and a double.
Jayden Minter picked up the win on the mound tossing five innings as the starter gave up four runs on five hits and four walks while striking out eight.
Game 2 – Won 6-3 at Otero
In the second game of the doubleheader, the offense was at more of a premium, but it was the Conqs getting on top early just like in game one.
Andrew Detlefsen would bring in
Donnie Rhyne in the top of the first for a 1-0 Conqs lead but Otero answered with two runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead. In the top of the third, a
Carter Olson RBI single would tie the game up for the Conqs but Otero regained the lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth. In the top of the sixth, the Conqs took control plating four runs and taking advantage of mistakes from Otero along with a
Brian Hallum RBI single. The Conqs would shut the door in the seventh and earn the 6-3 win.
At the plate, Olson was 2-4 with an RBI, while
Ethan Hewell went 2-4 with a run scored. Jordan Rhyne scored a pair of runs and drew four walks, while Hallum, Detlefsen,
Alex Galyean, and
Jordan Rodriguez each had a hit.
On the mound,
Caden Norman tossed two innings of action, while
Chayston Keck in four innings of relief gave up just one run on two hits and three walks, with two strikeouts earning the win.
Carson Frakes tossed a scoreless seventh for the save.
