No. 6 Cloud County Sweeps Colby in Conference Doubleheader

COLBY, Kan. — Colby baseball faced a tough test Saturday (March 21) as No. 6 Cloud County came to town for a conference doubleheader, and the T-Birds showed why they are among the nation's best. In a pair of high-scoring contests, Cloud County swept the Trojans, using explosive offensive performances to take Game 1, 17-11, and Game 2, 19-3.

Game 1

A back-and-forth offensive explosion unfolded Saturday, but No. 6 Cloud County ultimately outpaced Colby 17-11 in the opening game of the doubleheader.

Cloud County wasted no time setting the tone, jumping on the board with a solo home run in the first inning before adding two more runs in the second to take early control. The T-Birds broke the game open in the third, plating five runs on four hits to extend their lead to 8-0.

Colby responded in a big way in the fourth inning as they erupted for six runs on five hits, highlighted by Callum Thomson's RBI double and a towering grand slam from Matt Murray that cut the deficit to 8-6.

Despite the surge, Cloud County answered immediately. The visitors scored three runs in the fourth and added three more in the fifth to stretch the lead back to double digits. They continued to apply pressure late, finishing with 17 runs on 15 hits, including four home runs.

Colby refused to go quietly. In the bottom of the seventh, the Trojans mounted another rally, scoring five runs on five hits. Jacob Mraz delivered an RBI single before Nolan Adamski launched a grand slam to right field, trimming the deficit to 17-11, but the comeback attempt fell short.

Murray led the Trojans offensively, going 2-for-3 with a grand slam and four RBIs. Adamski matched that production with a grand slam of his own, also driving in four runs. Thomson and Charlie Langford each added two hits, while Colby finished with 11 hits as a team.

On the mound, Anthony Deblois took the loss after allowing seven runs over 2.1 innings. Robert Whitaker and Carter Graham combined to cover the remaining innings, but Cloud County's lineup proved difficult to contain throughout the contest.

Cloud County was paced by a powerful offensive performance, including a five-RBI day from Joey Marino, who went 4-for-5 at the plate. Multiple T-Birds recorded multi-hit games, contributing to the team's 15-hit output.

Game 2

No. 6 Cloud County completed the doubleheader sweep with a commanding 19-3 win over Colby in Game 2 on Saturday, using a relentless offensive attack to pull away early and never look back.

Cloud County wasted no time applying pressure, scoring two runs in the first inning and adding another in the second to take an early 3-0 lead. The T-Birds then broke the game open in the third, plating five runs on five hits, highlighted by extra-base hits and timely execution to extend the lead to 8-0.

The fourth inning proved to be the decisive blow. Despite only two hits in the frame, Cloud County capitalized on defensive miscues, scoring six runs, three of which came via errors, to push the margin to 14-0 and put the game out of reach.

Colby found a spark in the sixth inning, showing some offensive life as Jacob Mraz, Callum Thomson, and Matt Murray each launched solo home runs to account for all three Trojan runs. The long balls provided a brief highlight in an otherwise difficult afternoon at the plate.

Cloud County added to its total late, scoring five runs in the seventh inning to finish with 19 runs on 18 hits. Kellan Burke led the offensive surge with a 4-for-5 performance and five RBIs, while Lucas Laukkanen added three RBIs and reached base multiple times. Joey Marino also contributed with three hits and two RBIs as part of a deep, productive lineup.

On the mound, Turner Zdunich took the loss for Colby, allowing eight runs over 2.2 innings. The Trojans used multiple arms in relief, but were unable to slow down the T-Birds' offense, which combined for four home runs and drew eight walks in the contest.

Colby finished with nine hits, with Mraz and Caden Clifford each collecting two. Despite the final score, the Trojans did turn multiple double plays defensively and showed flashes offensively late in the game.

The Trojans now look to another home doubleheader against No. 24 Barton on Thursday (March 26).