By:Brian Niblock of The Pratt Tribune Tuesday, 12 February, 2008

The Pratt Community College baseball team responded to a four-game sweep by Colby last week by sweeping Cloud County Sunday and Monday in Concordia. Sunday, the Beavers won 5-4 and 5-0. They earned 2-1 and 4-1 victories on Monday.

Marco Quevedo picked up the victory in the Beavers' 5-0 whitewash. The sophomore allowed three hits, yielded a lone walk, and fanned 10.

The Beavers trailed Cloud 4-3 heading into the top of the eighth in their 5-4 victory.

Ryan Laing and Kirk Luebking doubles contributed to the two-run game-winning rally.

Ali Salazar relieved PCC starter Mike Rizzuto in the fourth and threw the final 2 and 2/3 innings for the victory.

In Tuesday victories, Joe Rush and Casey Lippoldt were scintillating throwing complete games.

Rush threw a one hitter and was the victor of the 4-1 win.

The lefthander had held Colby to three hits March 4, but did not pick up the win.

Lippoldt strangled Cloud on three hits and walked away the 2-1 winner.

Mike Chaput's fifth-innning home run knotted the score at 1-1. In the seventh, Spencer Siroky doubled then Laing's two-out double gave PCC the decisive run.

PCC head coach Ryan Schmidt has used a rotation of Quevedo and Rizzuto on day one and Lippoldt and Rush day two in the Beavers' first two Jayhawk Conference series.

Against Colby, three of their losses came in extra innings.

The Beavers, now 4-4 in the Jayhawk West and 11-13 overall, are home with Butler Community College Saturday and Sunday, March 15-16.

Butler entered 2008 ranked No. 16 in the NJCAA pre-season Division I poll.

The Griz were selected to win the 2008 Jayhawk West by the KJCCC coaches.

Butler was swept by Garden City in four games in late February and early March. They are currently 8-9 overall and 3-5 in the West.

Right-handed pitcher Bryant Cotton and outfielder Dylan Petrich are on the 2008 NJCAA Division I pre-season All-American team.

Cotton, a 2007 Jayhawk West All-Conference honorable-mention selection, who recently signed with St. Louis University, earned an 8-2 record in 2007, striking out 48 batters and compiling a 3.23 ERA.

Petrich, a member of the 2007 Jayhawk West All-Conference second-team, hit .392.

Chris Pinion, a left-handed pitcher, will attend Western Illinois.