Trojans Split with Barton, Battle Through Dodge City Series
May 4, 2026
The Colby Community College softball team wrapped up a busy stretch of games over the past week, earning a split against Barton while navigating a challenging four-game conference series with Dodge City.
Colby opened the stretch on April 25 with a home doubleheader against Barton County, showing both offensive firepower and resilience in a split.
In Game 1, the Trojans secured a 7-5 win behind a strong performance in the circle from Katelyn Zukewich. The sophomore threw a complete game, striking out 10 batters while scattering seven hits. Offensively, Colby found its rhythm early. Kylan Sorenson delivered the biggest swing of the game with a two-run home run in the second inning, finishing with three RBIs. Briley Christensen added a key two-run double in the third as the Trojans built a 4-0 cushion.
Barton rallied late, cutting the deficit to one in the fifth, but Colby responded with three runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning. The Trojans capitalized on timely hitting and defensive miscues to regain control and close out the win.
Game 2 told a different story. Colby fell 6-4 despite holding a late lead. The Trojans manufactured runs effectively, with Christensen driving in two runs and Ava Pezely scoring twice. However, a four-run seventh inning by Barton—highlighted by a three-run home run—proved to be the difference. Cheyenne Cramer pitched six innings, allowing eight hits and striking out four in the loss.
Following the Barton split, Colby turned its attention to a four-game series with Dodge City on May 1 and 2.
The Trojans struggled in the opening doubleheader at home, dropping games 12-3 and 6-2. In Game 1, Colby kept things competitive early, even taking a brief lead, but a big sixth and seventh inning from Dodge City broke the game open. Ella McDonald and Ashlynn Pavlov each drove in runs, while Cramer logged 6.2 innings in the circle.
Game 2 saw a tighter contest through five innings, with Christensen delivering a two-RBI double to bring Colby within one. Olivia Wirth also contributed with two hits. However, Dodge City again used a late surge to pull away for the win, capitalizing on errors and timely hitting.
The Trojans showed resilience on the road the following day, bouncing back to earn a split in Dodge City.
Game 3 quickly got away from Colby, as Dodge City exploded for a big first inning on their way to a 12-2 victory. Despite early offensive sparks, the Trojans were unable to recover from the deficit.
In the finale, Colby responded with one of its most complete performances of the stretch, earning a 4-1 win. Cramer led the way in the circle, delivering 5.2 strong innings while allowing just one run and striking out eight. Offensively, the Trojans pieced together timely hits. Sorenson drove in two runs, while Christensen and Pezely each added multi-hit performances as Colby built and protected an early lead.
Over the six-game stretch, several Trojans stood out. Christensen consistently produced at the plate, driving in runs in multiple games, while Sorenson provided power and clutch hitting. In the circle, Zukewich and Cramer combined for the bulk of innings, each turning in key performances.
While the results were mixed, the Trojans showed flashes of offensive depth and pitching capability, particularly in their ability to respond after losses. As the season progresses, tightening up defensively and limiting late-inning swings will be key as Colby looks to build momentum down the stretch.