Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Dodge City baseball continued their strong start to the season by opening KJCCC play with a doubleheader sweep of Pratt at home picking up wins of 5-2 and 23-13. 

The victories move the Conquistadors to 16-5 on the season and 2-0 in KJCCC action. The Conqs have won nine of the last ten games played on the diamond. 

The Conqs have won seven in a row in the series with Pratt and won 10 of the last 11 meetings. 

Up next the Conqs will cap the series with Pratt with a doubleheader against the Beavers in Pratt on Saturday, March 9th starting at noon. 

Game 1 – Won 5-2 vs Pratt 
The Conqs would open the day and series with Pratt by sitting the Beavers down in order in the top of the first and then grabbing the initial lead with a run in the bottom of the first. Pratt flipped the lead their way in the top of the second inning behind a pair of runs but in the bottom of the third, the Conqs took it back as Brian Hallum blasted a two-run home run to make it 3-2. In the fifth, the Conqs would and some much-needed insurance scoring two with an RBI single by Nick Gray and a sacrifice fly by Hallum to bring in the runs. Leading 5-2 entering the seventh the Conqs would see Pratt threaten working the bases loaded with two outs but a popup to the pitcher, Bryce Chambers finished the game as the Conqs earned the 5-2 win. 

Chambers was stellar tossing all seven innings giving up two unearned runs on six hits and three walks while striking out five earning the win. 

Hallum paced the Conqs offense going 2-2 with three RBI, one run scored, a double, and a home run. Nick Mesquita added a multi-hit game going 2-3 with a double, while Juan Rivera and Gray were both 1-2 with two runs scored and two stolen bases each. 

Game 2 – Won 23-13 vs Pratt 
The second game of the day would feature plenty of offense on both sides as the teams combined for 36 runs and 30 hits. Pratt would take the lead early with a run in the top of the first inning but Conqs answered quickly with two in the bottom of the first inning. Hallum had his second home run of the day with a two-run shot in the first. The scoring would continue throughout the contest for the Conqs as they plated runs in every inning including four in the second. Leading 6-1 the Conqs would see Pratt tie the game up in the third as the Beavers tallied five runs to even the ball game. A Gray RBI double would score Tate Blasi in the bottom of the third to give the lead back to the Conqs and they would not give it back. In the fourth, the Conqs tallied six runs highlighted by a two-RBI double by Mesquita, then would score three more in the fifth and sixth innings each. Pratt remained alive in the contest by scoring four in the top of the seventh inning but the Conqs would answer with four in the bottom of the seventh to end the game as Max Towchik said goodnight belting a grand slam to finish the game via run-rule at 23-13 in the bottom of the seventh. 

The Conqs pounded out 18 hits with six players recording a multi-hit game and four of those six had three hits each. Mesquita finished 3-4 with three runs scored, three RBI, a walk, and a double, while Peter Tassler was 3-4 with four runs scored, a walk, and two RBI. Gray added a 3-4 game with three runs scored, two RBI, a walk, a double, and a stolen base. Towchik chipped in a 3-5 game with four runs scored, six RBI, and two home runs. Hallum added a 2-4 game with a home run, three RBI, and a run scored, while Rivera went 2-3 with two RBI and a run scored. 

In two and a third innings of scoreless relief, Michael DeBattista picks up the win giving up just three hits and one walk.