Dodge City softball took on #16 Butler to continue KJCCC play as the regular season starts to end and the Conquistadors took the Grizzlies to the wire in game one with a chance to win but fell 10-8. Game two saw the Conqs struggle as Butler took the game 20-1.
The pair of losses drops the Conqs to 24-22 on the season overall and 16-12 in KJCCC play with only four more conference games left.
The Conqs are scheduled to take on Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa on Monday, April 21st for a doubleheader at 1:00 pm then will host Hutchinson on Wednesday, April 23rd before wrapping up the regular season with a clash with Seward County in Liberal on Saturday, April 26th.
Game 1 – Lost 10-8 vs Butler
After working around two early scoring opportunities by Butler and keeping the Grizzlies off the scoreboard the Conqs would strike first with a run in the bottom of the second.
Kloe Nelson delivered an RBI single and the Conqs led 1-0. The lead would be gone in the top of the third as Butler belted a two-run home run to take the lead and tallied another run to lead 3-1. In the bottom of the third
Josie Oakley tied the game up for the Conqs as she blasted a two-run home run. The fifth inning would see Butler regain the lead plating three runs while the Conqs got one on a solo home run by
Elly Tancayo Butler tacked on four runs in the sixth to lead 10-4. The Conqs would continue to fight as they scored two in the bottom of the sixth and then two more in the seventh getting the game-tying run on the bases before capping the game with a tough 10-8 loss.
Tancayo was 2-4 in the loss with two runs scored, an RBI, and a home run, while
Riley Moore added a 2-3 game with two runs scored, two doubles, an RBI, and a walk.
Karen Galaviz,
Kaylee Kinsinger, Nelson, Oakley, and
Whitley Cash each added a hit.
Frankie Martens and
Shyann Clark each saw action inside the circle.
Game 2 – Lost 20-1 vs Butler (5 innings)
The season series finale was unlike the first three meetings between the Conqs and the Grizzlies as the Conqs would play three close games in the first three meetings, but the series finale was controlled by Butler. The Conqs fell behind early as Butler would bat around in the first inning scoring eight and then would bat around again in the second and third scoring five runs in each frame. The Conqs' lone run came in the fourth when three of the team's five hits came as Nelson drove in a run on an RBI single, but Butler would get a run in the fourth and another in the fifth, while the Conqs would be unable to get much going falling 20-1 in five innings.
The Conqs had just five hits in the loss as
Jordyn Boxberger was 2-2 with a double, while Nelson, Moore, and Tancayo each had a hit.
