Conqs cruise, win two against Friends JV

   Despite the wind blowing into Cavalier Field, scoring runs was not a problem for the Dodge City Community College baseball team Saturday.
    The Conquistadors tallied 23 runs in two games to go unscathed in a doubleheader against the Friends University junior varsity.
    "We swung the bats pretty good on a day that wasn't real conducive to hitting," said Dodge City coach Phil Stephenson. "Overall, I'd say I'm pretty happy. Anytime you can grab a couple more wins and put us a little more closer to .500."
    In game one, DCCC (7-8) scored seven runs in the second inning and five more in the fourth en route to a 14-2 victory.
    After taking a one-run lead into the bottom half of the second, the Conqs' offense exploded, led by a two-run double by Dodge City native and freshman outfielder Ryan Bibens.
    A few batters later, freshman third baseman Mike Schnedar stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and knocked a two-run single, giving Dodge a 6-0 lead.
    The Conqs batted around the order, and Schnedar returned with his second at-bat of the inning and singled in a run to improve the lead to 8-0.
    DCCC added one more and took a nine-run lead into the fourth, where Friends finally crossed the plate.
    Sophomore infielder Eric McCart hit a triple for Friends and later scored on a groundout by junior Joe Stegman, making the score 9-1 for Dodge.
    The Conqs added five more in the bottom of the fourth, highlighted by a two-run bases-loaded double by freshman Chase Loudenback.
    Dodge held a 14-1 lead until the top of the sixth, when Friends' Stegman hit a sharp grounder to short and brought home a runner from third thanks to a Conq error.
    The run made the score 14-2, and Dodge went on to win by that same total.
    Game two was more of the same, as the Conqs dominated the scoreboard once again. However, It took a little longer for DCCC to gather itself at the plate.
    Unlike the first game, the two teams went back and forth early.
    The score was knotted at two runs apiece until the bottom of the fifth, when freshman Zach Zdanowicz singled and later scored from third on a Friends error.
    With a 3-2 lead, the Conqs scored seven more runs in the following inning, including a RBI single by Bibens and a two-run double by sophomore Scott Absher.
    DCCC went to win game two 9-2, improving to 7-8 on the season.
    The Conqs will hit the road Wednesday to face McCook (Neb.) Community College, then return to Cavalier Field on Friday for two doubleheaders against Garden City CC Friday and Saturday.