Another weekend, another weekend sweep for Lower Columbia Softball.
 
Riding the arms of sophomore hurlers Zoey Hughes, Ava Eib and Cerenity Fake, LCC won twice on Friday and twice again on Saturday at the annual NWAC Yakima Crossover. That makes 26 wins in a row since March 1, as the Red Devils advanced their season record to 31-2.
 
Lower Columbia now sets its eyes on the second round of conference games over the next four weeks, with a goal to defend its 2025 South Region title and qualify for the NWAC Championship tournament. The Red Devils are 16-0 and hold a three-game edge over SW Oregon and Mt. Hood in conference play, heading into the final 16 games on the schedule.
 
The 12-team NWAC Championship is May 14-17 in Portland.
 
YAKIMA RECAP
 
Game one: Lower Columbia 9, Bellevue 0 (5 innings) – Hughes was mostly untouchable, allowing just two Bulldog base runners on a single and one walk. The Devil righty fanned 11 on the way to her 13^th win of the season.
 
LCC scored seven runs in the first two innings to break it open early. RBI singles from Danika Hallom and Kendall Humphrey started the scoring. Alisyn Parkin singled to plate a run in the second inning, before Hallom poked a two-run single to put LCC up 7-0.
 
Hallom was 2-3 with three RBI, Humphrey 2-3 with a double and RBI to lead a 10-hit Red Devil attack.
 
Game two: Lower Columbia 9, Columbia Basin 1 (6 innings) – A sharp single off of the bat of Rylee Brown gave LCC the walk-off mercy rule win in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Eib dominated in the circle allowing just four hits, while fanning 14 Hawk hitters and walking only two. The St. Helen's, OR soph also starred at the plate, reaching base four times with two singles, two walks and three runs scored.
 
LCC got going in the first inning, capitalizing on three hits and three walks. A Parkin single drove in two, Emma Langsi drew a bases loaded walk and Brown singled in a run to put LCC up 4-0.
 
The Red Devils closed out the scoring in the 6^th inning on a two-RBI single from Avery Garvey and Brown's walk-off single.
 
Game three: Lower Columbia 11, Douglas 3 – Fake got the nod as the opener and pitched into the third inning, before Hughes closed it out for Lower Columbia.
 
Hughes started the game at third base and was 2-3 with a double, four RBI and three runs scored. Former Battle Ground teammate Seyah Lindersmith chipped in two hits, including a double and drove in two runs.
 
Hallom, who was 8-13 for the weekend, had two singles and Fake added a two-run double to the LCC attack.
 
Game four: Lower Columbia 8, Big Bend 0 – It was another quick start offensively for LCC. Gabi Silveria walked to open the game, stole second, went to third base on Eib's single and then scored on a perfectly executed squeeze bunt by Elysa Nash.
 
Garvey followed with a two-run single, her first of two hits in the game. Later in the fourth inning, Hallom and Humphrey stroked two-RBI singles to close the scoring.
 
Eib, Garvey, Hallom and Humphrey all had two hits as part of the Red Devil 10-hit attack.
 
In the circle Eib was in control from the outset – pitching a three-hit gem. Her 10 strikeouts gave her 160 on the season, tops in the NWAC.
 
For the season, Hughes and Eib both have 14 wins. Hughes is the ERA leader at 1.03 and Eib is second at 1.54. Hughes is second in Ks with 119 and also has three saves to lead the NWAC.
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