SALEM, OR - Clark College's trip to Chemeketa on April 18, 2026, was a full-day test of resilience, momentum shifts, and learning moments, as the Penguins dropped both games in a challenging doubleheader.

The opener set the tone early for a difficult matchup. Clark struck first in the top of the first inning when Delaney Bollman crossed the plate on a sharp RBI double from Dajah Paz, briefly giving the Penguins a 1–0 lead. But Chemeketa answered immediately and never relented, using a combination of consistent hitting and explosive innings to seize control.

The turning point came quickly. After tying the game in the first, Chemeketa erupted for seven runs in the second inning, followed by continued pressure in the third and fourth. Despite Clark's effort to rotate pitchers and settle the game, Chemeketa's offense piled up 19 hits and built a lead that proved insurmountable.

Clark did find small moments of response. Zoey Mikkelsen scored in the fourth after an outfield miscue, and the Penguins continued to battle defensively through a long afternoon. Offensively, Clark collected four hits and worked four walks, but struggled to string together sustained rallies against Chemeketa's pitching. The first game ended 13–2 in five innings.

After regrouping, Clark returned for Game Two with renewed energy—and this time, the response came early and emphatically.

The Penguins stormed out of the gate in the first inning. Bollman again set the table, coming around to score on a Rylee Purdom single. Moments later, Mikkelsen delivered a key two-run double, giving Clark a 3–0 advantage. In the third inning, Clark added to it in a big way: Purdom launched a two-run home run to left, pushing the lead to 5–1 and putting the Penguins in control.

For much of the game, it looked like Clark had flipped the script.

Shayla Seppala worked through the early innings in the circle, holding Chemeketa at bay while the offense built its lead. But Chemeketa slowly chipped away—first with extra-base hits, then with a game-tying three-run home run in the fifth inning that erased Clark's advantage and shifted momentum sharply.

The sixth inning proved decisive. Chemeketa capitalized on defensive miscues and timely hitting, stringing together a five-run rally that turned a tight game into a 10–5 deficit. Clark continued to fight, but could not recover in the final frame.

Despite the result, the Penguins had standout performances. Purdom delivered one of her strongest games of the season, going 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. Mikkelsen added two RBIs, while Bollman repeatedly sparked the offense from the top of the lineup.

Across the doubleheader, Clark showed two sides of its identity: the challenge of weathering big innings against a hot opponent, and the ability to respond with explosive offense of its own. Though the final scores favored Chemeketa, the Penguins left with evidence of what they can build on—early offensive aggression, flashes of strong pitching, and the fight to answer back in difficult moments.

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