Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Dodge City baseball wrapped up the KJCCC series with rival Garden City by splitting a twinbill at home to ultimately take three of four in the series. The Conquistadors opened the day on Friday with an 8-3 win and would drop the series finale 12-5. 

The split moves the Conqs to 30-18 on the season and 14-10 in KJCCC action, the 30 wins match last year's win total. 

Eight games remain in the regular season as the Conqs continue to vie for a top spot in the KJCCC West. The Conqs will take on Butler next with a doubleheader at home on Thursday, April 25th, and then will wrap up the series in El Dorado on Saturday, April 27th. 

Game 1 – Won 8-3 vs Garden City 
The Conqs would grab the early lead in the third game of the series scoring a run in the first as Juan Rivera led the inning off with a walk and would come around to score on an RBI double from Cooper Schneider. The lead would grow in the second with three more runs as Andrew Detlefsen and Brady Henke and an RBI double and RBI single, respectively in the inning. The Conqs would tally another run in the third and one more in the fourth before adding two in the sixth to lead it 8-0. Brian Hallum would shut down Garden City through the first six innings giving up just five base runners and handed the game to the bullpen in the seventh. A walk, hit batter, and walk opened the top of the seventh for Garden City, and then another walk brought in a run for the Broncbusters before they would get a hit to bring in two more runs, but the Conqs would finally shut the door to grab the 8-3 win. 

Hallum earned the win tossing six scoreless innings giving up just two hits and three walks while striking out six. 

Offensively Schneider was 2-3 with a walk, two RBI, and a double, while Rivera was 1-1 with a triple, two runs scored, an RBI, two walks, and three stolen bases. Detlefsen added a 2-3 game with a pair of doubles, two runs scored, and an RBI, while Henke was 1-2 with an RBI, run scored, and walk. 

Game 2 – Lost 12-5 vs Garden City 
The series finale saw early runs for the Conqs yet again but it was a big fifth by Garden City that would doom the Conqs in the matchup. A lead-off walk by Rivera would lead to a run in the bottom of the first as he came around on a stolen base, a passed ball, and dropped strike three to score. Garden City tied the game in the top of the second with a run but the Conqs countered with a run in the bottom of the frame to lead 2-1. The lead would flip to Garden City in the top of the third as the Broncbusters plated a pair of runs but the Conqs had an answer again scoring two in the bottom of the third to lead 4-3. After a scoreless fourth inning, Garden City would bat around in the top of the fifth and use four hits, two Conq errors, and two walks to score seven runs to lead 10-4. The Conqs would manage to get a run back in the sixth only to see Garden City tally two in the seventh and the Conqs would strand a pair of runners in each of the eighth and ninth innings falling 12-5 in the series finale. 

The Conqs managed just six hits as Nick Mesquita was 2-4 with a double and Rivera went 1-3 with two runs scored, an RBI, a walk, and a hit by pitch. Joseph Dominguez was 1-3 with two walks and Schneider was 1-4 with a run scored and a walk. 

Michael DeBattista tossed five innings as the starter recording seven strikeouts while surrendering six runs on seven hits and two walks. While Jason Miller, Chayston Keck, and Nick Gray all saw action on the mound. Gray tossed 2.2 innings of scoreless action giving up two hits and a walk, while striking out three.