Drama and muscle as Trojans sweep Pratt
CCC on five-game streak after 8-7, 22-10 wins
The Trojan baseball team put on an offensive display Thursday during a two-game sweep of Pratt, 8-7 and 22-10, at Young Memorial Field.
Colby appeared to be in control of game one. With the help of the first of two home runs from Alex Orenczuk, the Trojans built a 3-0 lead entering the fourth inning. But a walk and back-to-back homers by Hunter Johnson and Ashton Roy quickly tied the score.
Each team stranded runners through the fifth and sixth innings, but in the top of the seventh Pratt's Trace Maddux hit a two-run blast to break the 4-4 tie. The Beavers added another run to set up a dramatic finish for the Trojans.
Josh Diggins and Jacob Bouzide opened the frame with consecutive singles. Diggins scored on a fielder's choice RBI by Jason Evans to make it 7-5. Matt Coutney then singled to put the tying run on base. Sophomore outfielder Andy Leader stepped up and turned the first pitch he saw into a towering three-run game winner down the left field line.
Game two was also a slugfest as the teams combined for 32 hits. The Trojans again jumped on top by plating five runs in the first two innings. In the third, Pratt scored four runs to pull within one. That was as close as they would get, as Colby scored four in the third, 12 in the fifth, and another in the sixth.
Leader kept a hot bat, hitting a two-run blast in the fifth and a grand slam in the sixth. Nick Perez also accounted for a two-run homer in the fifth.
For Pratt, Johnson drove in three runs and Gage Axline had three hits.
The Trojans are now 11-7 overall with a 5-1 Jayhawk Conference record. They see Pratt (7-10, 2-4) again today in Pratt. The first pitch for the double-header is set for 1 p.m.