VANCOUVER, Wash. - Despite a strong start and standout effort on the mound, Clark College couldn't hold off a late charge from Southwestern Oregon, falling 4–2 in a tough nine-inning loss Wednesday afternoon.
The Penguins jumped out to an early lead in the third inning, when Quentin Anguay came through with a two-out single that brought home Evan McGuire and Kobin Mullins, putting Clark up 2–0. From there, the pitching staff held firm for six strong innings — but defensive miscues and timely hitting from the Lakers proved costly in the final frames.
Clark used seven different pitchers in the game, with Mason Wright delivering two shutout innings and Cole Robinson and Dawson Loudenburg keeping the game scoreless through the first five. But trouble brewed in the seventh, when Southwestern Oregon's Beau Benedictson launched a solo home run to cut the lead in half.
In the eighth, a fielding error allowed the Lakers to tie the game, and in the ninth, a pair of unearned runs — including another error and a bases-loaded walk — gave Southwestern Oregon a 4–2 edge they wouldn't relinquish.
Clark's offense was held to just three hits, all in the early innings. While Anguay led the way with two RBIs and a stolen base, the Penguins couldn't add on after their early burst.
On the mound, Rylan Taguchi closed the game with a scoreless ninth, but by then, the damage had been done. The Penguins committed three errors in total, with one in each of the final three innings, opening the door for Southwestern Oregon's comeback.
With the loss, Clark will look to clean things up defensively and bounce back in their next outing.
Penguin Highlights:
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