Dodge City baseball team wrapped up their season in the first round of the Region 6 Tournament going 1-2 in a best-of-three series against Kansas City Kansas Community College in the first round on the road in Kansas City. 

The Conquistadors fell in game one 13-3 in eight innings but responded by winning game two 10-5 in 11 innings to force a game three which KCK won 7-4 to end the Conqs season with a 29-30 record. 

Conqs in the series picked up their first playoff win since 2017 and overall had a one-win improvement on the season along with a three-win improvement in conference play finishing 18-14 in KJCCC action to finish fifth in the KJCCC West standings. 

Game 1 – Lost 13-3 at KCK (8 innings) 
The Conqs got hit early for runs to open the series as KCK got on the board behind the home run ball plating four runs in the first inning and then belted a grand slam in the second inning to double their lead making it 8-0. In the top of the third, the Conqs broke through as Donnie Rhyne drove in the first Conq run on a fielder's choice, and then in the fifth Nick Mesquita tattooed a two-run home run to draw the Conqs with five at 8-3. It remained 8-3 until the bottom of the seventh when KCK expanded their lead with four runs and then with one more run in the eighth finished the game in eight innings at 13-3. 

In the loss Alex Galyean paced the Conqs offense going 3-4, while Mesquita was 1-2 with a home run, two runs scored, two RBI, and a walk. Ethan Hewell was 1-2 with a run scored and a double. On the mound, Michael Lopez tossed a solid 4.2 innings of relief in the loss giving up three runs on five hits and one walk, while striking out one. 

Game 2 – Won 10-5 at KCK (11 innings) 
It was a scoreless pitcher's duel in game two as there was not a run scored in the game until the seventh inning. Tristan Wolf was dialed in for the Conqs grinding through six innings of work to keep KCK off the board until the bottom of the seventh. The Conqs however were the first to get on the board with a run in the top of the seventh as Caden Matlon drove in the first run of the game but a three-run homer by KCK in the bottom of the seven swung the lead their way. Top of the eighth saw the Conqs back in the run column as Galyean notched a two-out double and Zandt Payne brought him in on an RBI single but KCK answered with a run in bottom eighth to make it 4-2. In the ninth, the Conqs managed to cut the lead to one and then Galyean came through again this time with a two-RBI single to push the Conqs in front 5-4. In the bottom of the ninth KCK managed to tie the game at 5-5 pushing the game to extra innings. After a scoreless tenth, the top of the 11th was met with plenty of Conq offense. Cole Babich had a base hit and then Nick Mesquita with a double to put two on with one out in the top of the 11th and Galyean was intentionally walked to load the bases. Cooper Tomkinson then would have a sacrifice fly to give the Conqs the lead and then Payne delivered an RBI single followed by a three-run double by Andrew Detlefsen as the Conqs lead 10-5 entering the bottom of the 11th. Justus Revill entered the game and tossed a one-two-three 11th to secure the Conqs win. 

Conqs would out-hit KCK 14-5 in the win with plenty of late offense including a 4-5 day for Galyean who had two runs scored, two RBI, a double, and a walk. Payne finished 2-6 with two RBI and a run scored, while Detlefsen was 2-5 with a double, run scored, and three RBi. Mesquita added a 2-5 game with two runs scored, a double, and an RBI. 

On the mound, Tristan Wolf started tossing 6.2 innings giving up three runs on three hits and six walks with five strikeouts. Shea Walker earned the win tossing 2.1 innings, giving up one run on two hits and Revill tossed a scoreless 11th inning. 

Game 3 – Lost 7-4 at KCK 
After splitting the first two games the Conqs took on KCK one final time for a win and advance contest for the right to continue the Region 6 Tournament and move on to Wichita. The Conqs saw KCK grab the early lead plating three runs on the home run ball in the bottom of the first inning. In the top of the second, the Conqs behind a leadoff walk from Detlefsen would get on the board as Cooper Schneider brought him in on an RBI double to make it 3-1, and then Mesquita brought in Schneider to make it a one-run game at 3-2. It remained 3-2 until the bottom of the fifth when KCK tallied two runs to make it 5-2 and KCK added two more to lead 7-2 entering the ninth inning. The Conqs would not go away easily as Payne & Detlefsen had back-to-back singles to open the ninth and Schneider then had his second RBI double of the game, followed by an RBI single by Matlon as the Conqs drew with three. However, the Conqs would only get two runs in the ninth ultimately ending their season with a 7-4 loss. 

In the loss, a trio of Conqs had multi-hit games led by Schneider who was 2-4 with a pair of doubles, a run scored, and two RBI. Galyean had another multi-hit game going 2-4, while Rhyne was 2-4 with a double. 

On the mound, Brian Hallum tossed 5.2 innings of relief giving up three runs on six hits, with five strikeouts.