With many former Lower Columbia softball players on hand Saturday for the 2000 and 2001 team's Hall of Fame ceremony, the 2025 Red Devils impressed the alums with a 13-4, 16-2 sweep over Clackamas.
 
The wins propelled the top-ranked Red Devils to 35-0 and an NWAC South Region leading mark of 22-0. Lower Columbia's magic number to clinch the South title now stands at four games with eight regular season games on the schedule.
 
Next up is a trip to Coos Bay to face Southwestern Oregon, which was ranked fourth in the most recent coach's poll. The Lakers are 31-7 overall and in second place in the South Region at 15-5.
 
Saturday's wins over Clackamas were both driven by big rallies. Trailing 3-0 in the third inning of game one, LCC put nine runs up, keyed by an Emma Langsi grand slam. It was Langsi's second HR of the year – both grand slams and both against Clackamas.
 
In game two the Red Devils trailed 1-0 in the second, before bringing 14 batters to the plate and scoring 11 second-inning runs capped by a Gabi Silveria three-run home run. Silveria also had a three-run shot in game one.
 
Game-by game recap:
 
Lower Columbia 13, Clackamas 4 (five innings) – Zoey Hughes was steady in the circle, earning her team-leading 11^th win while striking out five Cougar hitters and walking none.
 
Besides her grand slam, Langsi started the third inning outburst with a leadoff double. Allison Baumgart was 3-3 and hit her 12^th home run of the season to go along with 56 RBI.
 
Sliveria was 2-3 with four RBI and hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning, which was a walk-off mercy rule blast to end the game. Lexi Grumbois also added a pair of hits.
 
Lower Columbia 16, Clackamas 2 (five innings) – The Cougars scored an early run off Red Devil starter Ava Eib, but the 11-run LCC second inning flood followed and they never looked back.
 
Eib was in control, going the distance for the win. She threw 77 pitches, 50 for strikes, while allowing just four hits, two walks and fanned six.
 
The St. Helens, OR freshman helped her own cause with a three-run home run. Silveria also went deep, was 3-3 and drove in four runs. The Woodland freshman second baseman had eight RBI in the twinbill.
 
Langsi tripled and Shaz Ancheta and Baumgart added doubles to the LCC 10-hit attack. Baumgart drove in three runs and Brooklyn Loose and Hailey Brooks each had two RBI.
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