Lower Columbia Softball put an exclamation point on a successful week, taking both ends of a doubleheader 14-5 and 5-3 from Clark College on Saturday in Vancouver, USA. Over five days LCC won 7 of 8 games in NWAC South play and is now 8-2 in the division and tied for first place with Mt. Hood.

Kendell Clauson was a one-woman wrecking crew for the Red Devils, going 8 for 8 with a home run, double and five RBI. She also walked once. Cheyenne Gilbertson added four hits in game one and Arielle Burnett had three hits on the day.

In game one LCC took a 1-0 lead on an RBI double by Allie Hall, before Clark scored five runs to go up 5-1 in the second inning. No panic in the Red Devils as they bounced right back.
Christine Robbins hit a towering 3-run home run in the 3^rd to narrow the deficit to one run and then the Red Devils took command in the 4th. Thirteen Red Devils came to the plate – Clauson had a double and single in the inning, Burnett tripled, Shanay Dotson doubled and Gilbertson singled in the uprising. Coupled with three walks, two batters hit by pitch and a Clark error the Red Devils plated eight runs and led 12-5.
Clauson struck again in the 5^th with a two-run double to score Gilbertson (who had doubled) and Hall.

Nizhoni Wheeler was outstanding in relief to get the win, pitching 3 2/3 innings and allowing just one hit and no walks.

Game two was a battle.
Lower Columbia opened the scoring on Gilbertson's sacrifice fly that scored Dotson, but Clark strung together four hits to answer with two runs and a 2-1 first inning advantage.
Clauson immediately tied the game with a long home run to left field in the 2^nd inning and LCC added on later in the inning on an RBI single from Briana Harvill that scored Dotson.

Clark tied the game at 3-3 in the 5^th, before LCC re-took the lead 5-3 in the 6^th. Burnett lined a one-out single, went to third base on Clauson's eighth hit of the day and scored on Dotson's shallow fly out to center. Burnett's hook slide evaded catcher's tag attempt by a millimeter for LCC's eventual winning run. Harvill followed with a sharp single to score Clauson for an insurance run.

Wheeler went the distance for the win – allowing eight hits, walking three and fanning four. The Red Devil defense shined - Harvill made multiple great plays at second as did SS Dotson, Catcher Kami Gray snagged a low pop-up on her belly, Gilbertson stole an extra base hit with a running catch at the wall in CF.

Lower Columbia is now 16-6 overall. The Red Devils travel to Salem on Wednesday to meet Chemeketa and then hosts Gray Harbor on Saturday at noon.