Dodge City baseball embarked on the 2024 season with a road trip to Texas where they squared off with with Paris Junior College for a three-game series and opened the year 2-1. 

The Conquistadors earned an 8-4 win over Paris in the season opener coming from behind for the win but would drop game two of series 11-6. The rubber match in the series was grabbed by the Conqs 13-7 behind early offense. 

Up next the Conqs are hitting the road again as they will travel to take on #19 New Mexico in Hobbs, New Mexico for a four-game series on Friday and Saturday, February 9th-10th. 

Game 1 – Won 8-4 at Paris 
The Conqs would fall behind early in the season opener as Paris was the first to strike in the series by plating four runs in the bottom of the second inning. The bats would wake up in the fourth for the Conqs as Nathan Harmon brought in Nicholas Gray with an RBI double after Gray led the inning off with a single. The lead would go to the Conqs in the top of the fifth behind four runs as Alex Galyean belted a three-run home run and then Brian Hallum blasted a solo home run in the frame and the Conqs led 5-4. Conqs would add insurance runs in the sixth and seventh scoring one and two runs, respectively in the innings to grab the 8-4 win. 

The Conqs offense recorded 11 hits in the season opener with Gray and Jordan Rodriguez each recording a two-hit contest. Gray was 2-4 with a run scored, stolen base, and RBI, while Rodriguez was 2-2 with a double. Galyean finished 1-4 with a run scored, three RBI, and a home run, while Hallum was 1-3 with a home run, run scored, and an RBI. 

On the mound, Michael DeBattista tossed two innings as the starter but it was four scoreless innings from Bryce Chambers that highlighted the action on the mound. Chambers struck out three and only gave up three hits, while Gray also tossed a scoreless inning of work. 

Game 2 – Lost 11-6 at Paris
It looked like the late spark of offense in game one of the series would lead to good things in game two as the Conqs got on the board with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. A pair of errors by Paris saw the Conqs get a pair of runners and Andrew Detlefsen then brought them in on a two-RBI double. It remained 2-0 until the bottom of the fourth when Paris would get on the board and take the lead with three runs. Conqs went back in front in the top of the sixth behind a two-RBI single by Carter Olson to have the Conqs up 4-3. In the bottom of the fifth Paris answered with five runs and would add three more in the eighth, while the Conqs managed just two more runs coming in the seventh. Paris would go on to secure the win 11-6 in the second game of the series. 

Olson tallied a 2-3 performance with three RBI, while Tate Blasi was 2-3 with two runs scored, an RBI, a walk, and two doubles. On the mound, seven different Conqs saw action in the contest with Hallum tossing 2.1 innings as the most work by a Conq. 

Game 3 – Won 13-7 at Paris 
Behind a pair of six-run innings, the Conqs snagged the rubber match in the three-game series against Paris on the road. The Conqs wasted no time getting the offense rolling plating six runs in the top of the first inning behind multiple hits, a hit batter, a walk, and a sacrifice fly. Paris would answer in the bottom of the first inning but only managed two runs as the Conqs led 6-2 and would stay with that lead until the top of the fifth when the Conqs scored six runs once again and then would add another run in the seventh. Paris would not go away as they scored at least one run in the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth innings plating one, one, two, and one run, respectively. The Conqs would ultimately secure the 13-7 victory. 

Four Conqs paced a 12-hit attack by each recording a multi-hit game. Gray was 2-4 with two runs scored, an RBI, and a walk, while Olson was 2-3 with a run scored, RBI, and a walk. Samuel Blanco posted a 2-2 performance with two runs, two RBI, and a walk. Ethan Hewell added a 2-3 day with a run scored, two RBI, and a stolen base. 

Michael Lopez picked up the win tossing four innings as the starter giving up two unearned runs on four hits with four strikeouts. Four other Conqs finished out the game on the mound.