Baseball Grinds Through Four One-Run Battles, Split Home Series with Pratt

COLBY, Kan. - Colby and Pratt delivered a pair of tightly contested games over the weekend (April 11-12), splitting a dramatic doubleheader that featured a pitcher's duel in Game 1 and an offensive explosion in Game 2.

Game 1

In the opener, Colby came up just short in a 3–2 loss despite dominant pitching. The Trojans struck first in the bottom of the third inning when Chase Kessler came through with an RBI single, scoring Jacob Mraz to give Colby a 1–0 lead. That advantage held until the fourth, when Pratt capitalized on key opportunities to plate three runs. A sequence of run-scoring hits flipped the momentum, putting the Beavers ahead 3–1.

Colby continued to battle and chipped away in the sixth inning. Caden Clifford delivered an RBI single to bring the Trojans within one, making it 3–2, but the comeback stalled from there as Pratt's pitching held firm down the stretch. Clifford and Matt Murray led the offensive effort with two hits apiece, while Kessler and Clifford each drove in a run.

On the mound, Anthony Deblois turned in a strong outing despite taking the loss, allowing just five hits and three runs, none earned, over four innings while striking out six. Trey Schroeder was sharp in relief, tossing three scoreless innings and allowing only two hits while striking out two to keep Colby within striking distance. Defensively, however, three errors proved costly in what ultimately became the difference in the one-run game.

Game 2

With Game 2 pushed to Sunday (April 12)  due to weather delays, the two teams returned on and delivered an offensive showdown that saw Colby outlast Pratt 13–12 in a back-and-forth thriller.

The Trojans wasted no time getting on the board, tying the game 1–1 in the first inning after Turner Zdunich lined an RBI single. Colby then took control in the third inning, as Matthew Kesting drove in a run with a single and Jacob Mraz executed a steal of home to give the Trojans a 3–1 lead.

Pratt answered in a big way in the fourth inning, taking advantage of defensive errors to score four runs and move ahead 5–3. The Beavers extended their lead further in the fifth, but Colby refused to back down. Kesting delivered again in the bottom half, launching a two-run home run to right field to keep the Trojans within striking distance.

Anthony Deblois then took over the game offensively. The Quebec native helped his own cause in the sixth inning with a two-run home run to left, trimming the deficit and setting the stage for a decisive seventh inning. Trailing late, Colby erupted for six runs on four hits in the bottom of the seventh to flip the game completely. The biggest moment came when Deblois crushed his second home run of the day, a three-run line-drive over the center field green monster, giving the Trojans a 13–9 lead.

Pratt mounted one final push, scoring three runs late to make it 13–12, but Colby's bullpen held on to secure the win. Freshman Jake Lentz earned the victory with two shutout innings, allowing just three hits while striking out three. Isaiah Sadorus closed the door to record the save, despite surrendering three runs over the final two innings.

Offensively, Colby piled up 13 hits in the win, led by a monster performance from Deblois, who finished with two home runs, five RBIs, and three hits. Kesting matched him with three hits and three RBIs, while Jake Brooks and Zdunich each added multi-hit performances. The Trojans also showed patience at the plate, drawing seven walks, with Mraz leading the way with three while also swiping two bases. 

Every game in the four-game series was decided by just one run. Colby now turns its focus north for a road matchup against McCook on Tuesday (April 14), looking to carry momentum from the series into another tough non-conference test. Following that contest, the Trojans will return to conference play later in the week, hosting Garden City for a key home doubleheader on Saturday (April 18).