Softball Splits at Howard, Drops Pair in Midland

Colby Trojans softball went 1-3 during its early-week road trip to Texas, splitting a doubleheader at Howard College on Monday (March 16) before dropping both games of a twin bill at Midland College on Tuesday (March 17). 

Game 1 at Howard

Despite a strong offensive showing, Colby softball came up short in the opening game of Monday's doubleheader, falling 10-8 to Howard College at Foundation Field.

Colby outhit Howard 12-8 on the day, led by Ashlynn Pavlov's three-hit performance. The Trojans also showed patience at the plate with six walks and aggressiveness on the bases with four stolen bags, but were unable to overcome a big middle-inning surge from the Hawks.

The Trojans struck first in the opening inning when Kylan Sorenson delivered an RBI single to give Colby a 1-0 lead. Howard quickly responded in the bottom half, capitalizing on an error to score two runs before adding another on a bases-loaded walk to take a 3-1 advantage.

Colby answered in a big way in the third inning, putting together a five-run rally to regain control. Dayana Miller delivered the biggest swing of the frame with a three-run home run to left field, highlighting a four-hit inning that pushed the Trojans in front, 6-3.

Howard responded again in the fourth, using a combination of timely hitting and situational execution to plate four runs and retake the lead. The Hawks added three more in the fifth to extend their advantage.

Colby continued to battle, cutting into the deficit in the sixth inning when Briley Christensen launched a two-run home run to right field, bringing the Trojans within striking distance at 10-8. However, they were unable to complete the comeback over the final frames.

In the circle, Alison Nikolaus took the loss, working five innings while allowing eight hits and 10 runs (eight earned) with three strikeouts. Leone Suamatai'a added an inning of relief.

Offensively, Miller drove in a team-high three RBIs, while Ella McDonald added a pair of hits. Ava Pezely contributed two RBIs and was active on the basepaths alongside Brooke Zinken, as both players recorded multiple stolen bases.

Howard was led by Savannah Villarreal, who went 3-for-4 with four RBIs, while the Hawks drew 11 walks as a team to help fuel their offense.

Game 2 at Howard

The Trojans responded in a big way in the second game of Monday's doubleheader, using a strong offensive performance to defeat Howard College, 12-9, and earn a split.

Briley Christensen led the way with a standout performance, going 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, and three RBIs. She set the tone early and delivered a key blow in the fourth inning with a two-run homer to left.

Colby got on the board in the first inning when Christensen doubled and later scored to give the Trojans a 1-0 lead. After Howard tied the game in the bottom half, the Trojans quickly regained control in the second. Ava Pezely executed a sacrifice bunt to bring in a run, and Ella McDonald followed with an RBI double to make it 3-1.

The Trojans continued to build momentum in the third inning, plating three more runs. Brooke Zinken delivered a two-run single, and another run scored on a Howard error to extend the lead.

Colby broke the game open in the fourth with a five-run inning. Christensen's two-run homer highlighted the frame, while Kylan Sorenson added a solo shot. Olivia Wirth and Ashlynn Pavlov each drove in runs as the Trojans stretched the lead to 11-4.

Howard made things interesting late, capitalizing on control issues and miscues to score five runs in the sixth inning, cutting the deficit to 11-9. However, Colby answered with an insurance run in the seventh and held on to secure the victory.

In the circle, Cheyenne Cramer earned the win, tossing 5.1 innings while allowing four runs (two earned). Aubree Trujillo worked through a tough sixth inning, and Katelyn Zukewich closed the door to earn the save.

Colby totaled 14 hits in the contest, with Christensen, Sorenson, and Dayana Miller each recording three-hit games. Zinken added two hits and two RBIs, while the Trojans also drew five walks and executed well in small-ball situations.

Game 1 at Midland

Colby then faced Midland on Tuesday, where the squad struggled to generate offense in the opening game of the doubleheader, falling 8-0 to Midland College.

Midland set the tone early, capitalizing on a pair of first-inning runs. A Colby error allowed the first run to cross, and a bases-loaded walk added another to give the Chaparrals a quick 2-0 advantage.

The lead grew in the third inning as Midland's bats came alive. A solo home run from Hannah Flores sparked the rally, while Mia Garcia delivered a key hit as part of a four-run frame that pushed the margin to 6-0.

Midland continued to add on with single runs in both the fourth and fifth innings, taking full control of the contest.

Colby was limited to just two hits on the afternoon, with Ashlynn Pavlov and Dayana Miller accounting for the team's only offense. The Trojans were unable to find rhythm against Midland starter Marie Rondeau, who was dominant in the circle, striking out eight over five shutout innings.

Katelyn Zukewich took the loss for Colby, tossing 4.1 innings while allowing eight runs (six earned) on 10 hits. Despite recording six strikeouts, control issues and timely hitting from Midland proved costly.

Garcia led Midland offensively with a 3-for-3 performance and four RBIs, while the Chaparrals showed discipline at the plate with five walks and played a clean defensive game without committing an error.

Game 2 at Midland

Colby then put together another strong performance at the plate but couldn't keep pace with Midland College, falling 12-7 in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader.

Despite outhitting Midland 10-9, the Trojans were hurt by timely extra-base hits and 10 walks issued in the contest.

Midland struck first in the second inning with a solo home run from Adelina Noriega to take an early lead. Colby answered in the third with a three-run frame, as Dayana Miller singled home a run, Bailey Jackson doubled in another, and Kylan Sorenson brought in a run on a fielder's choice to give the Trojans a 3-1 advantage.

The Chaparrals responded in the fourth, tying the game at 3-3 on a pair of singles, before taking the lead for good in the fifth. Noriega drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, and Jozanna Montes followed with a three-run home run to put Midland in front 7-3.

Colby battled back in the sixth when Brooklynn Ekker launched a two-run home run to center, cutting the deficit to 7-5. However, Midland answered immediately in the bottom half with a five-run inning, highlighted by a three-run homer from Emma Davis and a two-run single from Maycee Wilson to extend the lead.

The Trojans added two more runs in the seventh on a home run from Katelyn Zukewich, but the rally fell short.

Miller led Colby at the plate with three hits, while Jackson, Briley Christensen, and Ekker each recorded multi-hit games. Ekker and Zukewich provided the power with home runs, and Brooke Zinken added speed on the bases with two stolen bases.

In the circle, Cheyenne Cramer took the loss, allowing 10 runs over 5.2 innings. Alison Nikolaus worked in relief as Midland capitalized on free passes throughout the game.

Montes led Midland with four RBIs, while Noriega added two hits and scored three runs. The Chaparrals showed patience at the plate, drawing 10 walks to fuel their offense.

Colby showed flashes of offensive firepower across the four games, recording double-digit hits in two contests and staying competitive throughout the trip. However, the Trojans will look to regroup as they are set to host conference games on Friday (March 20) and Saturday (March 21), aiming to bounce back and build momentum moving forward.