For the first time since 2017, the Dodge City baseball team will be playing in Wichita for the double-elimination portion of the District/Region Championship postseason tournament. The Conquistadors earned that right after beating Coffeyville in the first round of the playoffs in a best-of-three series claiming game three in walk-off fashion 12-11.
After splitting games one and two (Game 1 – 6-5 win; Game 2 – 5-3 loss) the Conqs were locked in another battle with Coffeyville Red Ravens in game three and would come back from a late five-run deficit to win 12-11 with a walk-off RBI single by Joseph Dominguez in the bottom of the ninth. The win moves the Conqs to 38-21 on the season and onward to Wichita next week to continue in the Plains District/Region 6 Championship postseason tournament.
The Conqs in 2017 also beat Coffeyville in the first round in three games to earn a trip to Wichita for the double elimination bracket play.
Game three would start like the first two as Coffeyville would work the bases loaded just like the previous two games and like game two the Red Ravens would tally an early run on a bases-loaded hit batter. The Conqs would answer in the bottom of the second as Alex Galyean brought in two runs with a double and then the Conqs doubled their output with a two-run home run by Max Towchik in the third inning to lead 4-1. In the top of the fourth Coffeyville would grab a run but the Conqs for the third straight inning would tally two runs and lead 6-2 after four frames. The fifth would see an offensive outburst for Coffeyville as they would bat around and take advantage of three walks, a hit batter, and four hits to score six runs and would tack on three more in the sixth again taking advantage of free passes leading to an 11-6 lead for the Red Ravens. After the Conqs would hold Coffeyville off the board in the seventh a two RBI single by Juan Rivera would get the Conqs with three in the bottom of the seventh inning. In the bottom of the eighth Nick Mesquita belted a two-run home run off the scoreboard to make it a one-run game and Peter Tassler followed the next at-bat with a solo home run to tie the game.
The contest would head to the ninth inning tied at 11-11 and Coffeyville would open the top of the ninth with a leadoff walk, but the runner would be stranded at third. In the bottom of the ninth, the Conqs got the leadoff man on via a triple off the wall by Andrew Detlfesen, and after a pair of initial walks to Carter Olson and Brian Hallum, it was Joseph Dominguez at the plate, and he would push one down the first base line for a walk-off RBI single to lift the Conqs to a 12-11 victory.
Nine different Conqs recorded a hit in the contest while drawing 16 walks as a team. Rivera was 2-3 with a run scored, two RBI, three walks, and two stolen bases, while Mesquita finished 2-4 with three runs scored, two RBI, hit by a pitch, and a double. Dominguez had a 1-3 game with two RBI, a run scored, and three walks, while Max Towchik was 1-5 with three runs scored, two RBI, and a home run.
On the mound, Luis Santiago picked up the win in two scoreless innings of relief giving up just two walks, while Bryce Chambers tossed 5.2 innings as the starter.
The Conqs are one of eight teams remaining out of the KJCCC and will now compete in the double-elimination portion of the Plains District/Region 6 Championship in Wichita at Eck Stadium starting on Wednesday, May 15th. The Conqs will face off against Cowley at 10:00 am in the first game of the action in Wichita.
