COLBY, Kan. – 12 stranded runners and a pair of four run innings would lead to Cloud County dropping their first series opener in over a month before breaking out in big way with 15 runs in the final three innings of game two to earn a doubleheader split on the road against Colby Community College at Young Memorial Field in Colby, Kansas on Friday, April 23rd.

Final score of game one would be an 8-1 Trojan win in seven innings while CCCC would take a 16-7 decision in game two to move to 23-15 overall and 13-9 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference. Colby is now 21-20 overall and unable to gain any ground on the T-Birds in the KJCCC standings on the day while sitting at 14-12 in league action.

Game One:
An expected pitcher's duel between the top two pitchers in the KJCCC West Division would get turned sideways early as Cloud County would push across a run with a Noah Olson leadoff walk and Kayden Beauregard RBI single in the top of the first before stranding a pair of runners. After working a perfect bottom of the first, CCCC would then have something brewing again in the top of the second as three-straight one-out walks would load the bases for the T-Birds before a pop out and strikeout would end the jam and give Colby some momentum heading into the bottom half of the inning.

A one-out error would prove to be costly for Cloud County as Colby would get an RBI double on the next at-bat and then work two-straight two-out singles to take the lead at 2-1 and put runners on the corners. A bases-clearing triple would then bring home two more unearned runs as all four Trojan runs in the inning would come be unearned against CCCC starter Kolby Dougan.

Two more stranded base runners for CCCC in the top of the third would continue the missed opportunities as Cloud County would be unable to cut into the Colby lead. The Trojans would then load the bases in their end of the third before seeing a strikeout on the outside corner end the threat to return the favor as things would stay at a 4-1 margin heading to the fourth.

Neither team would have much going offensively in the fourth as Cloud County would strand a leadoff single before hitting into an inning-ending double-play in the fifth with runners at first and second. Colby would then break the game open in the fifth, getting a leadoff triple and RBI single to knock Dougan from the game after 97 pitches before going on to get a two-run and solo homer to score four runs on five hits in the inning and go up 8-1.

Needing to get something going in the top of the sixth to try and get back in the game, Cloud County work a pair of one-out singles and then a walk to load the bases, but an inning-ending flyout would once again strand runners and leave CCCC with just the one run. The final at-bats for each team would wind up being hitless as each team would put one runner on with two outs and be unable to do anything as the T-Birds would be held to two or fewer runs for just the fourth time this season.

Taking just his third loss of the year would be Dougan after giving up six runs (two earned) on seven hits while striking out six as Connor Woods, Patrick Kennedy, and Aaron Hayes would finish out the final two innings on the bump. Nine-hole hitter Adler

Pierson would be the only T-Bird to collect multiple hits in the game with a pair of singles to finish two-for-two while also walking once while Olson would go one-for-two with two walks and a run scored.

Game Two:
A somewhat slow start for Cloud County would see the T-Birds manage to push across an early run in the top of the first with a Williams Camacho-Soto RBI single before being held to just one hit in the next five innings. Colby would use a two-run homer in the bottom of the first to take their first lead of the game before adding a pair of runs in the fourth as two hits and a hit batter would lead the new deficit of three runs for the T-Birds.

Following hitless innings for both teams in the fifth and sixth, Cloud County would finally find away to produce some offense as three straight walks would knock Colby starter Tyler McWillie from the contest before a walk to Ian Riley would bring home CCCC's second run of the game. After a flyout put the first out of the inning on the board, Beauregard would deliver with an RBI single to allow all runners to move from station-to-station as the bases would remain loaded for Camacho-Soto. A two-RBI single from the freshman would allow the T-Birds to tie things at 5-5 as the offense would be far from done with a Brock Hillebert three-run blast to right field giving Cloud County their largest lead of the day at 8-5 heading to the bottom of the seventh.

Working a second-straight perfect inning on the mound would be CCCC reliever Brady Kobitowich as Colby would go down in order again before keeping the T-Birds in check to keep it at an 8-5 contest. The Trojans would use three singles in the bottom of the eighth to get a run back before stranding two runners with a fly out to end the inning as Cloud County's lead would be down to just two with things going to the ninth.

Insurance runs from the T-Birds would come in bunches in the final at-bat as two errors in the first three at-bats of the inning would see the wheels come off the wagon for Colby with a Jaden Parsons two-RBI single making it 10-6 before a hit batter and walk would bring home another run for CCCC. Five more runs would be scored in the inning by Cloud County as Olson would deliver with a two RBI double before Beauregard capped off the inning with a two-RBI single to put the game out of reach for Colby.

The 10-run lead for CCCC would prove to be more than enough for Cloud County to earn the split of the day as the Trojans would muster just one run on a hit and pair of walks before seeing the final three batters of the game go down in order.

A three-inning outing in relief for Kobitowich would lead to his first win of the year as the freshman would allow two runs on three hits and strike out three of the 14 batters he faced. Taking a no-decision after throwing five innings would be starter Evan Wilde who would throw 89 pitches and strike out five while Jayden Payne would record the final three outs of the game and strike out one on 20 total pitches.

Big outings at the plate from Beauregard and Camacho-Soto would see the duo each go three-for-six with two runs scored while also accounting for five total RBI. Hillebert would drive in three more runs on his lone hit of the game while Cloud County would work 10 walks compared to just four strikeouts while also getting hit by a pitch in three at-bats.  

What's Next?
The first back-to-back of conference play this season for the T-Birds sees the series move to Lee Doyen Field in Concordia as CCCC will host Colby for a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday. Saturday's games will be the first of four consecutive home conference games for Cloud County with just two weeks remaining in the regular season after this weekend.