Saints Settle for Road Split at Dodge

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Seward baseball traveled to Dodge City on Thursday to open a four-game Jayhawk Conference series with a doubleheader at Cavalier Field.

The Saints (19-24, 11-6 KJCCC) split the doubleheader, falling 9-8 to the Conquistadors (15-24, 4-14) in game one and winning big 13-2 in game two.

The series resumes Friday at Brent Gould Field, first pitch at 12 p.m.

Game 1: Dodge City 9, Seward 8 (7 Inn.)

Seward led 6-1 in game one but were outscored 8-2 the rest of the way in a 9-8 loss.

Dodge City used four home runs to skate past Seward.

Grant Cox cleared the bases with a triple in the first to stake Seard to a 3-0 lead. A Diego Valero-Munoz home run in the second made it 4-1 while Seward used two more in the fourth to go ahead 6-1.

The Conquistadors plated three runs in each the fourth and fifth innings later using a run a piece in the sixth and the seventh.

Michael Lujan threw 4.0 innings in the start, allowing six earned runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and no walks. Braden Whipple (L, 0-5) threw the final 2.0 allowing two earned runs.

Cox drove in four runs to lead Seward.

Game 2: Seward 13, Dodge City (9 Inn.)

The offense came early and often for the Saints as they mashed nine runs in on 18 hits including six home runs.

Grant Cox homered twice while Isai Santaella, Juan Alvarez, David Brabb and Mason Gilbert had long balls of their own.

Seward plated two runs in the second on a Gilbert home run but Dodge tied it at two in the bottom of the second. Seward outscored Dodge 11-0 from that point including 7-0 across the eighth and ninth.

Brooks Kappelmann (W, 4-3) earned the win making his longest outing of the season throwing 6.1 innings allowing a lone earned run on eight hits, striking out five and walking two. Trajan Chavez threw 2.2 scoreless innings in relief striking out four.

Brabb was 4-6, Cox drove in six runs and Alvarez scored a team-high three runs. Six Saints had multiple hit outputs.