Make it seven wins in a row and nine of the last 10 for the Dodge City softball team as they swept a KJCCC doubleheader on Wednesday against rival Garden City picking up 10-13 and 14-12 victories.
The Conquistadors are now 9-5 on the season and 4-0 in KJCCC action having won seven straight games. In the series with Garden, the Conqs have now won seven straight and 15 of the 18 meetings against the Broncbusters.
Up next KJCCC play continues as the Conqs will take on Seward County on the road in Liberal on Saturday, March 4th for a doubleheader that starts at 12:00 pm.
Game 1 – Won 10-3 vs Garden City
The day opened with Garden City finding early offense as the Broncbusters tallied a pair of runs in the top of the first inning by sending eight to the plate. The Conqs would have a big answer in the bottom of the first inning scoring five runs to take the lead with the inning highlighted by a
Rylie Hufford two RBI single helping the Conqs lead 5-2 after a first inning that took 30+ minutes to play. The pace of the game would pick up in the second and the Conqs would pick up two more runs as K'lee Flores registered an RBI single and
Alicyn O'Neill recorded a sac-fly to bring in two runs giving the Conqs a 7-2 advantage. Garden City got a run back in the top of the third on a solo home run to open the inning but after the next batter drew a walk the Conqs would record 15 consecutive outs to stop the Broncbuster offense and secure the game. Conqs would add another run in the third and two more in the fourth going on to secure the 10-3 win in game one of the doubleheader.
Flores was phenomenal inside the circle earning her fifth win of the season tossing all seven innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks, while striking out four.
Addison Spencer continued her hot streak at the plate with a 3-4 showing with three runs scored, while
Melanie Castro added a 2-3 game with two runs scored, a walk, triple, and stolen base.
Izabella Mikelson,
Reneau Ratzlaff, and
Rylie Hufford all recorded two RBIs each.
Game 2 – Won 14-12 vs Garden City
It was a case of déjà vu to start game two of the doubleheader as the first inning was almost identical to game one. Garden City would open the game with a pair of runs in the top of the first but the Conqs again had an answer plating five runs in the bottom of the first with two RBI singles by both
Jazlynn Vaquera and
Rylie Hufford highlighting the inning. Garden would find a bit more offense however in game two than game one as the Broncbusters plated four runs in the second and third innings each to take a 10-5 lead. In the bottom of the third the Conqs answered again tying the game at 10-10 by scoring five with a Castro two-RBI double, Spencer RBI single, and
Camryn Lenz RBI single leading the charge in the frame. Garden City would get another run in the fourth and one more in the fifth to lead 12-10 but the Conqs answered the bell again scoring two in the fifth to tie the game at 12-12 and then a two-RBI double by Lenz in the bottom of the sixth helped the Conqs take the lead and earn the 14-12 victory.
Six Conqs had a multi-hit game in the win led by Spencer who was 3-4 with three runs scored, a double, and a walk. Castro added a 2-5 showing with two runs scored, two RBI, a double, and a stolen base, while Lenz was 2-4 with two runs scored, three RBI, a walk, double, and stolen base. Hufford and Mikelson each added two hits and two RBI, while O'Neill was 2-4 with three runs scored and Vaquera was 1-1 with two runs scored, two RBI, and three walks.
In the circle, Flores came in for starter
Dalaney Utajara to toss the final four and 4.2 innings to record the win, her sixth of the season giving up just three runs during that time.
