Softball Drops Doubleheader at Conference-Leading Hutchinson

HUTCHINSON, Kan. - Colby hit the road Thursday (April 16) for a tough conference matchup against Hutchinson, but the Trojans couldn't find their footing early, dropping both games of the doubleheader to the conference leaders. 

Game 1

Colby's softball squad couldn't overcome an early deficit, falling 5–1 to conference-leading Hutchinson in Game 1 of the away doubleheader.

Hutchinson struck quickly in the opening inning, using extra-base hits to take control. Kaibryn Kruger got things started with an RBI triple down the left field line to score Riley Dreher, and moments later, Gabby Stauffer followed with a triple of her own to right-center, bringing home Kruger and giving the Blue Dragons a 2–0 lead.

The Blue Dragons added to their advantage in the third inning, capitalizing on a Colby defensive miscue. After a single by Hadley Topping, a throwing error allowed Dreher to score, while Kruger advanced and later crossed the plate on a groundout by Stauffer. Tailor Golly then delivered an RBI double to left, pushing the lead to 5–0. All three runs in the inning were unearned.

Colby struggled to generate offense against Hutchinson starter Aubree Thomas, who kept the Trojans off balance throughout the game. Colby managed just four hits on the day, with Brooke Zinken leading the way with a 2-for-3 performance. Briley Christensen and Ava Pezely each added a hit, while Zinken and Christensen both recorded doubles.

The Trojans broke through in the fifth inning, taking advantage of a Hutchinson error. Ella McDonald reached on a throwing error by the shortstop, allowing Zinken to come around and score Colby's lone run of the game and cut the deficit to 5–1.

In the circle, Cheyenne Cramer went the distance for Colby, tossing six innings while allowing seven hits and five runs, just two of them earned, while striking out two and walking three. Despite a solid effort, defensive miscues proved costly in key moments.

Hutchinson finished with seven hits, led by Dreher's two-hit performance and multiple extra-base hits from Kruger and Stauffer. The Blue Dragons' ability to capitalize early and take advantage of opportunities helped secure the Game 1 victory.

Game 2

Colby then showed fight throughout Game 2 , but couldn't overcome a big early inning, falling 4–2 to Hutchinson.

After a quiet opening frame from both sides, Hutchinson broke through in the second inning with a four-run surge that proved to be the difference. The Blue Dragons took advantage of control issues and timely situational hitting, drawing multiple walks to load the bases before pushing runs across on an RBI walk by Reese Goetz and a bases-loaded walk from Hadley Topping. A wild pitch brought home another run, and Hutchinson capped the inning with a hit-by-pitch RBI to take a 4–0 lead despite recording just one hit in the frame.

Colby settled in defensively after the second, as the pitching staff combined to shut down Hutchinson the rest of the way. Leone Suamatai'a and Katelyn Zukewich provided strong relief efforts, with Zukewich tossing 4.1 innings of scoreless ball while allowing just three hits and striking out three to keep the Trojans within striking distance.

The Trojans began to chip away in the fifth inning. Brooke Zinken, who led the offense with a 2-for-4 day, came around to score on an RBI single by Briley Christensen to cut the deficit to 4–1. Colby added another run in the sixth, as Kylan Sorenson crossed the plate on an RBI single from Brooklynn Ekker, trimming the lead to 4–2.

Colby continued to put pressure on Hutchinson pitching, finishing with nine hits in the contest. Zinken and Olivia Wirth each collected two hits, while Christensen added a pair of hits and an RBI. Ekker also drove in a run as the Trojans consistently put runners on base but struggled to come up with the timely hit late.

Hutchinson's pitching staff ultimately held firm down the stretch. Hailey Ediger earned the win after allowing two runs over four innings, while Jessica Schmidt closed the door with two strong innings in relief, striking out four to secure the save.

Despite the loss, Colby out-hit Hutchinson 9–4 and showed resilience after the early deficit, holding the Blue Dragons scoreless over the final five innings.

Colby will look to build on the positives moving forward as they continue conference play in El Dorado Saturday (April 18). First pitch of the doubleheader set for 1 p.m.