COLBY, Kan. – Grabbing late leads in both ends of a road doubleheader, the Cloud County Community College baseball team would score a total of 35 runs to outscore host Colby Community College by scores of 15-9 and 20-18 to sweep a doubleheader at Young Memorial Field in Colby, Kansas on Saturday, April 29th.
Taking the final three games of a four-game Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference west division series, Cloud County is now 33-18 overall and 18-10 in the KJCCC with four games remaining in the regular season while the Trojans fall to 12-36 overall and 5-23 in conference play.
Game One:
Jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead with an RBI double from
Danny Infante and RBI groundout by
Demitri Shakotko, the T-Birds would give one run back in the bottom of the first to the Trojans before using a
Paul Schuyler single in the top of the second to score Alex Diaz from second as CCCC would strand two runners in the inning after seeing the final out of the inning come on the base paths. Things would remain a 3-1 game in favor of Cloud County until the top of the fourth when the T-Birds would again strike with a two-out double from Schuyler to set up a two-run home run from
Gavin Roy as the advantage would grow to four heading into the fifth inning.
A solo home run to leadoff the bottom of the fifth would allow Colby to begin to build momentum as a single and stolen base along with a passed ball would set up a sacrifice fly to bring home a second Trojan run in the inning to cut the deficit in half and trail by a 5-3 margin. Cloud County would see their advantage completely erased just an inning later in the bottom of the sixth as a one-out single would create an opportunity for a game-tying two-run home run from Colby's Aaron Vulcano before seeing the Trojans strand a go-ahead run at first.
Having been held scoreless for each of the past two innings, CCCC would put together arguably their best offensive inning of the day as a hit batter would set up an Infante two-run homer and kickstart a stretch of seven consecutive batters safely reaching base to begin the inning for CCCC. During the stretch,
Brock Wollin would drive in a run with a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded before seeing a
Karson Green pinch-hit two-RBI double turn an 8-5 lead into a 10-5 lead with a throwing error on a fielder's choice to bring home a run and be followed by Roy's second home run of the afternoon. The inning would be capped off by Shakotko hitting a solo home run two batters later as a total of 10 runs would come across on six hits in the inning.
Closing out the Trojans in the bottom of the seventh would be a walk in the park as a one-out walk and RBI double would again allow Colby to start to put together a rally as another walk would force CCCC's second pitching change of the inning and be followed by a three-run home run. With the score cut to a six-run advantage, Colby would follow up the homer with a double before seeing back-to-back strikeouts end the game and allow the T-Birds from letting the Trojans make a real threat at mounting a second comeback.
Drawing six hit batsmen and producing 15 total hits, Cloud County would be led by the top four in their lineup (Schuyler, Roy, Infante, and Shakotko) as 11 of their hits and 11 of their 14 RBI would come from the top four in the order. Schuyler, Infante, and Shakotko would all finish with three-hit games while Roy would drive in a game-high five RBI as part of a two-for-two game with a pair of home runs.
Seeing a nine-strikeout performance lead to a no-decision after 5.1 innings pitched, Cloud Count starter
Jack Mount would allow just three runs (two earned) on four hits to move just five strikeouts away from tying the CCCC career-strikeout record. Reliever
Brady Stuewe would earn his first win of the year after throwing 0.2 innings in relief of Mount to finish out the sixth inning while
Brayden Mackey and
Lucas O'Keefe would combine to finish things out in the seventh.
Game Two:
If 16 runs scored in the final two innings of game one wasn't enough offense for fans, then game two would provide more fireworks as both teams would score in each of the first four innings in what would become a series finale slugfest. Starting the game off with RBI base hits from Infante and Wollin to go up 2-0. CCCC would see a short-lived lead erased in the bottom of the inning as a two-run home run to tie the game would be followed by a second-straight home run for Colby to grab their first lead of the day at 3-2.
Sending 13 batters to the plate in the second, two hit batters to begin the inning would be followed by a fielder's choice with a throwing error to allow all runners to safely advance before a two-RBI double from Schuyler to allow the T-Birds to reclaim the lead. Roy would continue the rally for Cloud County with a single before an Infante sacrifice fly with Shakotko and
Anthony Taggart each recording base-hit singles to put two runners on with CCCC up 7-3. The big hit of the inning would come in the next at-bat with Wollin at the plate to blast a three-run home run as Cloud County would finish the inning with eight runs on five hits to take their largest lead of the game at 10-3.
Another three-run inning for Colby in the bottom of the inning would allow the Trojans to get back within four as two home runs and a balk would account for the scoring to see a total of 16 runs scored through two innings of action. Getting one run back with a Taggart RBI single in the top of the third, CCCC would see free passes lead to a run for the Trojans to answer right back with two walks and two hit batters bringing home a run. Scoring would be far from over as a hit batter and double to lead off the fourth inning would set up a Diaz two-RBI single to score
Justin Johnson and
Eric Foufoulas as Cloud County would plate four runs on four hits with Shakotko bringing home another two runs with a two-out double.
Just like every inning prior, Colby once again would find a way to respond offensively by using three consecutive base-hit singles to start a rally that would bring home three runs on four hits to keep within striking distance despite stranding two runners. The first scoreless half-inning of the game would come in the top of the fifth as CCCC would be held scoreless before seeing the Trojans use three doubles and a walk to push across another three runs to chip away at the deficit and pull within two at 15-13.
Cloud County's lead would be completely erased in the bottom of the sixth as five straight base hits would bring home four runs to put the Trojans up for the first time since the first inning by putting together their highest-scoring inning of the game. Facing a two-run hole, the T-Birds would manage to break through for their first run in three innings with a walk by Foufoulas and Johnson hit-by-pitch putting two one-out base runners aboard with a throwing error on a back pick by the Colby catcher and wild pitch allowing for free bases to bring home a CCCC run.
Continuing their streak of consecutive innings with at least one run, Colby would respond with a pair of two-out hits including a double to get back the run surrendered in the top of the seventh while setting a new season-high in runs scored. Down to their final six outs offensively to try and produce at least two runs to pull back even, CCCC would waste no time getting things tied as an Infante double to lead off the eighth would be followed by RBI base hits from Shakotko and Taggart to pull back even with still no outs. After a Wollin walk, the Trojans would make a call to the bullpen before getting a flyout and issuing another walk to load the bases and allow a go-ahead run to score on a sacrifice fly.
Taking no chances by bringing in reliever
Cole Askew in the bottom of the seventh, Cloud County would do everything in their power to protect their newly regained advantage as the sophomore would work a perfect bottom of the eighth to get things to the ninth with the T-Birds having one more chance to pad their lead. Three straight one-out batters safely reaching bases for CCCC would set up an insurance run scoring on a wild pitch from Colby's eighth pitcher of the game as Cloud County would be unable to find any more offense with two strikeouts ending the inning and limiting the added offense to just one run. Tasked with working a third inning for the first time this season, Askew would once again do just what the T-Birds needed by inducing three flyouts and working around a one-out hit batter to finish off the game and secure CCCC a series victory.
18 hits, nine walks, and seven hit batters would lead to a plethora of base runners for Cloud County in the game as Shakotko and Taggart would lead the T-Birds with four hits each while combining to drive home six runs and draw three walks. Six of CCCC's 18 hits would go for extra bases with Wollin connecting on the lone T-Bird home run of the game as Cloud County would see 14 stranded base runners get left on base despite scoring their third-highest offensive total of the year. Six total pitchers would be used on the mound for CCCC, with Askew earning his first win of the year to improve to 1-1 after striking out two and allowing one run on two hits to the 11 batters he faced.
What's Next?
Cloud County will head back out west to make a stop in Dodge City to play a 1 PM doubleheader on Thursday, May 4th to kick off their final KJCCC series of the year. The T-Birds and Conquistadors are currently separated by just two games for the fourth and final spot to host an NJCAA Region VI Playoff series heading into a four-game slate against one another.
