Trojans Split Saturday Doubleheader with Hutchinson

by Derek White

The Colby Community College Trojan baseball team hosted the Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragons for a Saturday doubleheader, battling through defensive miscues and offensive surges to split the series at Young Memorial Field. The Blue Dragons edged Colby in game one, 4-1, but the Trojans bounced back with a strong showing to take game two, 7-3 on April 19.

In the opener, Colby struggled to capitalize on opportunities, while two early errors proved costly. Hutchinson scored one run in the first and another in the second, both unearned, to take a 2-0 lead. The Blue Dragons added two more in the seventh, sealing the 4-1 win.

Colby starter Tyler Smith was effective despite the loss, allowing just one earned run on five hits over six and one-third innings, while striking out two and walking four. The Trojans' lone run came on a Charlie Langford RBI single in the sixth. Langford, Isaiah Padilla, and Turner Zdunich each collected a hit in the loss. Colby turned a double play on defense but couldn't overcome Hutchinson's clean play in the field and solid pitching from starter Lachlan Rosser, who struck out five and allowed just three hits over six innings.

Game two was a different story as the Trojans came out firing. Colby jumped ahead 2-0 in the bottom of the first after a walk to Zdunich and a Hutchinson error. In the second, the Trojans broke the game open with a four-run frame. Gavin Galenza got it started with an RBI single, Zdunich brought in another run on a fielder’s choice, and Caden Clifford capped it off with a two-run single to extend the lead to 6-0.

Padilla added insurance in the fourth, crushing a solo home run to left. The Trojans tallied 10 hits overall, with Clifford leading the team in RBIs and Langford, Padilla, and Jacob Mraz each notching two hits.

Zdunich also got the job done on the mound, earning the win with a solid outing. He allowed two runs on five hits across five and two-thirds innings, striking out six and walking three. Flynn McGahan came in for relief work, helping to secure the 7-3 victory.

The split pushes Colby’s record to even on the week as they continue a stretch of competitive conference play. The Trojans will travel to McCook for their next matchup on Tuesday, looking to build on the momentum from Saturday’s game two win.