VANCOUVER, Wash - Game 1 - The Clark College Penguins fought hard on Friday afternoon but couldn't keep pace with the visiting Red Devils of Lower Columbia, ultimately falling 8-1 in NWAC baseball action.

Clark starter Dawson Loudenburg gave the Penguins four gritty innings, working around traffic and limiting the damage to just one earned run despite issuing five walks. Loudenburg and relievers Alex Matter, Mason Wright, Terrance Cheyne, and Cole Robinson combined for six strikeouts across nine innings but faced challenges from a patient and opportunistic Red Devils lineup that drew 11 walks and made the most of its eight hits.

Offensively, Clark was led by Sophomore first baseman Evan McGuire, who went 3-for-4 at the plate, including a clutch RBI single in the sixth that brought home Kobin Mullins and briefly cut the Lower Columbia lead to 2-1. Mullins also had a solid game, going 2-for-4 with a stolen base, showcasing his speed and consistency from the two-spot in the order.

However, that was all the scoring the Penguins could muster, as Lower Columbia's pitching duo of Chayse Oxborrow and Dante Santulli kept the Clark bats quiet. Oxborrow earned the win, tossing six innings of five-hit ball, while Santulli closed the door with three hitless innings, allowing four walks but stranding every runner.

Despite being held to five hits, Clark showed discipline at the plate, drawing six walks on the day. But key opportunities went unconverted, with the Penguins leaving 11 runners on base.

Defensively, Clark had a few miscues, committing two errors that proved costly in key innings. Lower Columbia took advantage with a three-run ninth to put the game out of reach.

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Game 2 - The Clark College Penguins showed plenty of fight but couldn't quite complete the comeback, falling 8–5 in a back-and-forth contest against Lower Columbia on Thursday afternoon.

After falling behind 4–0 early, Clark stormed back with a four-run third inning, fueled by clutch hitting and aggressive base running. Kaiden Hernandez got the Penguins on the board with an RBI single, and Evan McGuire followed with a run-scoring double to keep the momentum going. A two-RBI single from Jase Pashales, aided by a Red Devils error, and an RBI single from Landon Criste tied the game at 4–4, electrifying the Clark dugout.

Pashales finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk, while McGuire added another RBI to his impressive season total with a double and six runners left on base, constantly providing pressure on the Lower Columbia staff. Criste contributed two hits, including a triple, and Hernandez reached base four times with a hit and two walks.

The Penguins briefly trimmed the deficit to 6–5 in the fifth when Hernandez drove in Andrew Israel, who reached base twice and scored a run. However, Clark couldn't push across another run the rest of the way.

Clark pitchers battled throughout the game. Tyler Ramelli took the loss after 4.2 innings of work, allowing six runs (four earned) on nine hits while striking out two. Travis Gibson, Mason Wright, and Trig Berens combined to finish the final 2.1 innings, with Berens tossing a clean seventh.

Defensively, the Penguins were challenged by a sharp Red Devils lineup and a few key miscues, committing two errors that led to unearned runs. Still, the team showed grit, drawing nine walks at the plate and out-hitting Lower Columbia 9–8 in terms of earned runs.

Despite the loss, there were bright spots all over the field for Clark. The team's ability to come back from an early deficit and the production from the middle of the order signal positive strides heading into the next stretch of games.

The Penguins look to regroup and capitalize on this momentum as they prepare for a weekend doubleheader at Lower Columbia tomorrow, first pitch set for 12PM.

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