ALBANY, Ore. — Clark College showed resilience across both games of Saturday's doubleheader at Dick McClain Field, mounting late rallies and getting strong efforts on the mound, but ultimately fell 14-5 and 3-2 to Linn-Benton Community College.
Game One: Late Push Not Enough
In the opener, the Penguins collected 10 hits and battled back with a four-run seventh inning but couldn't overcome a pair of big innings from the Roadrunners in a 14-5 loss.
After falling behind early, Clark cut into the deficit in the third inning on an RBI single from Kobin Mullins. Trailing 8-1 entering the seventh, the Penguins mounted their strongest rally of the afternoon. Mullins delivered a sacrifice fly, Kaedon Cruse followed with an RBI single, and Noah Dupaya worked a bases-loaded walk. Clark later added another run in the eighth on an RBI double by Caden Taylor to trim the margin to 8-5.
Taylor, Cruse and Morrie Solam each recorded two hits in the contest, while Mullins drove in two runs.
Despite striking out 10 Linn-Benton hitters, Clark was hurt by defensive miscues and a six-run eighth inning from the Roadrunners that put the game out of reach.
Game Two: Walk-Off Heart breaker
The nightcap featured a tightly contested pitching duel, with Clark coming up just short in a 3-2 walk-off loss.
Garrett Maunu set the tone on the mound, tossing five innings while allowing two runs and striking out five. The Penguins trailed 2-0 until the seventh inning, when Mullins once again delivered in a key moment. His two-run single to center field scored Drew Yount and Rylan Taguchi, tying the game at 2-2.
Clark tallied eight hits in Game Two, with Taylor and Taguchi each recording two. However, Linn-Benton pushed across the deciding run in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI single to seal the sweep.
Building Forward
Across the doubleheader, Clark demonstrated persistence at the plate and solid pitching performances that kept both games competitive. The Penguins combined for 18 hits on the day and showed the ability to respond under pressure with timely hitting.
Clark will look to convert those late-game opportunities into wins as conference play continues.
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