The Clark College Women’s Softball Team had a double- header on Saturday, April 26 against the Lower Columbia Community College Red Devils. The power hitting for the Red Devils led to a victory in game one 15-0 and game two 10-1. The game was played at the Hudson’s Bay field.
 
    The weather was warm, but the Penguins’ bats were cold. Starting pitcher Bailee Mayer had a tough day against the reining 2007 NWAACC softball champs. In the first inning, Red Devils freshmen Camy Way hit a homerun to dead center field. By the end of the second inning the Red Devils were leading 9-0. It continued to get worse as the “mercy rule” was called after five innings with the score 15-0. Lower Columbia had 13 hits while freshmen Kayla Vickaryouswent 4-for-4.
 
    “They are a strong hitting team, not the best team we’ve played, but the best power hitting team we’ve played,” Coach Kasey Powers said.
 
    Before the start of game two, the Penguins had a barbeque to get reenergized. When asked how you keep the girls motivated after a tough first game, Powers said, “We are in a position to knock teams out of the playoffs and that’s our motivation, I don’t have to say much, because they’re motivated to play them.” Freshmen pitcher Catherine Martinez was the starting pitcher for game two. This was her first full game back after an injury to her hand.
 
    Lower Columbia took an early one run lead in the first and added to their lead in the third inning with five more runs. Clark looked to fight back in their half of the third with catcher Kellie Preheim leading it off with a hit up the middle. Right-fielder Ellen Zavalney followed with a pop up to the second basemen, who threw to first and got the double play. It was another sign of the tough-luck day for the Penguin softballteam.
 
    In the fourth inning, third basemen Krista Kountz led off with a double. Brooklyne Freemen earned a walk, but again they couldn’t get the runner home. In the sixth, Martinez gave up five hits which earned the Red Devils four more runs. With Lower Columbia leading 10-0, Ashleigh Byrne sparked a rally. She got a base hit then stole second, Katie Carothers added a base hit, scoring Byrne. That was the Penguins only run of the afternoon. Carothers then stole second, Kountz grounded out, but the runner advanced to third. Freemen struck out to end the game.
 
    With the bats coming alive at the end of game two, the consensus of the team is that they need to work on their hitting. “We need to work on batting, getting our bats on track, just need to put together some hits,” Kellie Preheim said.
 
    “We just couldn’t string all the hits together to get it done,” Kountz said. Powers told the women to be ready to hit on Monday. Due to the weather this year, the team hasn’t been able to work outside much.
 
    Martinez and Preheim worked well together in Martinez’sfirst game back. “She did really well since she hasn’t pitched in awhile,” Preheim said.
 
    “Catherine was hitting her spots and kept us in the game, it’s good to have her back,” Powers said. The next home game is Friday, May 2 against Chemeketa Community College starting at 3 p.m. They also play Lower Columbia Community College again at home on Saturday, May 3 starting at noon.