CENTRALIA, Wash. -
Game 1 - Despite a thrilling four-run eighth inning that brought the crowd to life, Clark College came up just short in a 5–4 loss to visiting Centralia on Sunday afternoon.
The Penguins struggled to get the bats going early against Centralia starter Liam Karlson, who scattered two hits over seven strong innings while striking out eight. But Clark refused to go quietly, erupting in the bottom of the eighth with a sequence of aggressive baserunning and opportunistic play to claw back into the game.
After trailing 5–0, Clark capitalized on a series of miscues by Centralia's bullpen. Andrew Israel crossed the plate on a wild pitch, Trevin Long scored on a balk, and Kaiden Hernandez added an RBI groundout to pull the Penguins within two. Moments later, Duncan Roush drove in Quentin Anguay with a single to left, cutting the deficit to just one before being thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.
Offensively, Clark was limited to just three hits, with Long, Anguay, and Roush each notching one. Roush and Hernandez recorded the team's only RBIs, while Israel and Long each scored a run and drew a walk.
On the mound, Luke Woolcott took the loss, allowing five runs (two earned) over 5.1 innings. Though he battled through control issues—walking six, hitting five batters, and uncorking three wild pitches—he also struck out six and limited Centralia to just four hits. Mason Wright provided a steady hand in relief, tossing 2.2 scoreless innings with one strikeout.
Defensive miscues haunted Clark, with errors by Kobin Mullins and Anguay contributing to three of Centralia's five runs being unearned.
Despite the defeat, Clark left the field with renewed confidence in their resilience.
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Game 2 - Clark College opened the scoring but couldn't maintain momentum, falling 7–1 to a sharp Centralia squad behind a dominant complete-game effort from Centralia pitcher Lincoln McVicker.
Andrew Israel got things going early for the Penguins, ripping a triple in the bottom of the first and later scoring on a groundout by Kobin Mullins to give Clark a brief 1–0 lead. Unfortunately, that was all the offense the home team could muster as McVicker settled in, striking out 13 batters while allowing just two hits and one walk in a complete seven-inning performance.
Clark's only other hit came from freshman Landon Criste, who doubled in the fifth. But outside of those two extra-base hits, Clark's offense was stifled, striking out 13 times and stranding just one runner.
The Penguins' pitching staff had a rocky second inning, with starter Kenneth Hall tagged for four runs on four hits before exiting after just 1.1 innings. Cole Robinson provided a solid bridge with 2.2 innings of one-run relief and five strikeouts, but Centralia added two more runs in the fifth off Terrance Cheyne to pull away for good.
Defensively, Clark showed flashes of crispness but couldn't overcome early breakdowns and lacked run support. Criste was caught stealing after his double, and two wild pitches contributed to Centralia's extended rallies.
Despite the back-to-back losses, the Penguins remain focused on development.
Clark will aim to bounce back in their next contest, hosting Pierce on Saturday, 5/3.
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