UCC Riverhawks Softball 5-9 Clark

Clark's explosive offense proved too much for the Riverhawks to handle, as the visitors rolled to a 9-5 softball victory at home on Tuesday in conference action.

The Penguins jumped out early with three runs in the first inning and never looked back, adding four more in the third and two in the fourth to build a commanding 9-2 lead. Clark catcher Rylee Purdom was perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two runs scored, while shortstop Zoey Mikkelsen drove in two runs on a 2-for-4 performance.

The Riverhawks battled back with strong individual efforts from shortstop Jordan McArthur, who reached base in all four plate appearances (2-for-2 with two walks) while driving in two runs. Catcher Gracie Mello added two hits and an RBI, and Camden Kappa contributed a pair of hits from the leadoff spot.

UCC made things interesting late, scoring twice in the seventh inning, but the early deficit proved insurmountable against Clark's pitching duo of Kairi Rowand and Mylee Burrows, who combined to limit the Riverhawks to nine hits.

The loss drops UCC to 4-7 overall as conference play continues to present challenges. The Riverhawks will need to regroup quickly and find ways to generate earlier offense as they look to even their record in upcoming conference matchups.