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Lewis & Clark College

Charlize Pope Pitching
Ella Ruark
0
Lewis & Clark LCSB 6-5, 0-3 NWC
8
Winner Linfield LIN 7-2, 3-0 NWC
Lewis & Clark LCSB
6-5, 0-3 NWC
0
Final
8
Linfield LIN
7-2, 3-0 NWC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Lewis & Clark LCSB 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1
Linfield LIN 0 0 5 0 3 8 8 1

W: Kelley, Tayah (5-0) L: O'Leary, Maggie (3-2)

9
Lewis & Clark LCSB 6-6, 0-4 NWC
10
Winner Linfield LIN 8-2, 4-0 NWC
Lewis & Clark LCSB
6-6, 0-4 NWC
9
Final
10
Linfield LIN
8-2, 4-0 NWC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
Lewis & Clark LCSB 0 0 0 0 8 0 1 0 0 0 9 13 3
Linfield LIN 3 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 10 12 1

W: Kelley, Tayah (6-0) L: Pope, Charlize (2-3)

Game Recap: Softball | | Seth Orensky

Softball's Incredible Rally Falls Just Short In 10-Inning Loss To #12 Linfield

The Pioneers erased a 9-0 deficit in their longest game in six years

MCMINNVILLE, Ore.—Lewis & Clark College softball nearly pulled off one of the biggest comebacks in program history on Monday night, as the Pioneers roared back from a 9-0 deficit in the fifth inning of game two to force extras in a lengthy doubleheader against #12 Linfield University. 

THE BASICS
#12 Linfield 8, Lewis & Clark 0 (5 Innings)
#12 Linfield 10, Lewis & Clark 9 (10 innings) 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
With their backs against the wall and a third consecutive mercy-rule loss three outs away, the Pioneers erupted for eight runs in the fifth inning and went toe-to-toe with the defending Northwest Conference Champions in a 10-inning, game two loss. 
 
Freshman Charlize Pope was phenomenal throughout the doubleheader. She allowed just two hits, and one run, while striking out five over 6+ innings for the Pioneers. 
 
GAME ONE RECAP 
 
After a rain delay of nearly two hours, Linfield struck for five runs in the third and three more in the fifth, to earn an 8-0 mercy-rule win over the Pioneers. 
 
Freshmen Lainey Honma (double) and Emily Patton and junior Mari Alvarez posted the Pioneers lone three hits of the game. Freshman Lacey Marglin worked a pair of walks and sophomore Riley Anderson and Honma added a walk apiece. 
 
In the circle, freshman Maggie O'Leary kept the Wildcats off balance for the first two innings, before they pounced for five in the third. Pope pitched a pair of scoreless innings in relief. 
 
The Pios put runners on base in every inning and had their best chance to score in the top of the third. With two outs, Patton singled and stole second and advanced to third on an Alvarez single. Anderson walked to load the bases but reigning NWC Pitcher of the Year Tayah Kelley induced a fly out to end the threat. 
 
GAME TWO RECAP 
 
After another slow start, the Pioneers scored eight runs in the fifth, tied the game with two down in the seventh and pushed the game all the way to the 10th inning, in their second one-run loss of the four-game set. 
 
Freshman Madison Scroggins, senior Kalea Kaui, Patton and Marglin all finished with two hits for the Pioneers. Scroggins came off the bench to go 2-3 with a run scored and an RBI.  Kaui added a run and an RBI. Marglin scored twice and Patton tacked on a run, a walk and the game-tying RBI in the seventh.
 
 Anderson provided the big swing in the fifth inning with a grand slam and added a walk in the sixth inning. 
 
In the circle, junior Cassidy Crusberg and Pope did a tremendous job slowing down the Linfield bats after they scored seven runs in the opening 2.1 innings. Crusberg went 2.2 innings and scattered four hits, three walks and two runs. Pope came on for the sixth inning and allowed just two hits and one run, while striking out two. 
 
Linfield scored three runs in each of the first two innings, one in the third and two more in the fourth to extend their lead to 9-0. The Pioneers nearly tied the score in the top of the fifth. 
 
Marglin opened the inning with a single and freshman pinch-hitter Gina Ozuna followed with a single up the middle. Kaui put the Pioneers on the board with an RBI single that scored Marglin and put two runners in scoring position. The Pios cut the deficit to 9-3 when a wild pitch got away from the catcher and on the throw back to the plate, the ball skipped off a sliding Ozuna and allowed Kaui to race home from second. 
 
With no one on and no outs, Scroggins walked, Patton singled and Alvarez walked to load the bases. Linfield went to their bullpen and Anderson greeted the new pitcher by obliterating the first pitch she saw well over the batting cage in straight-away center to make it 9-7. Freshman McKenna Zehnder followed with a single and sophomore Katie Ingersoll singled to make it nine-straight batters reaching to start the inning. After a fielder's choice erased Zehnder, Marglin and Ingersoll advanced on a passed ball. Ingersoll raced home on a Ozuna RBI groundout to cut the deficit to 9-8. 
 
The Pios nearly took the lead in the sixth. Scroggins led off the inning with a single and Anderson and Zehnder walked with two down. Ingersoll laced a fly ball the opposite way over the head of the left fielder, but Katie Phillips raced back to the warning track and made the catch to deny the Pioneers the lead. 
 
Lewis & Clark tied the game in the seventh. Marglin led off with a single but each of the next two batters were retired by Kelley-who had come on as a reliever to face Ingersoll in the sixth. With the Pios down to their final out, Scroggins singled to left and Patton followed with a single to center that plated Marglin. 
 
Extra innings proved to be a pitcher's duel. Pope matched Kelley pitch for pitch, with the freshman retiring 13 of 14-after giving up an infield single to start her outing. 
 
Linfield earned the win in the bottom of the 10th, when All-Region second baseman Brynn Nelson hit a line-drive home run just inside the left-field foul pole for a 10-9 victory. 
 
BY THE NUMBERS
  • The Pioneers eight runs in the fifth inning of game two on Monday were their most since they scored eight runs in a 17-9 win over Pacific Lutheran University on March 20, 2022. 
  • Monday's nightcap was the Pioneers longest game since April 9, 2017, when the Pioneers defeated Pacific University 8-5 in 12 innings in Forest Grove. The Pioneers have played three games against Linfield that lasted nine innings or longer in the last seven seasons, with the Wildcats winning by one in all three contests. 
  • Patton finished the weekend with hits in three of the four games and a total line of: 4-12 with three RBI, one run, one walk and one stolen base. 
  • Three of Anderson's 15 career home runs have been grand slams. She hit a grand slam against Pacific Lutheran as a freshman and also hit one against Occidental College earlier this season. Anderson is just three RBI shy of tying her freshman total (21) in 26 fewer contests. 
  • The Pioneers outhit Linfield 13-12 in game two and forced Linfield to use four different pitchers.  
WHO'S NEXT 
 
Lewis & Clark will return home for the first time since Opening Day, when they host the University of Puget Sound on Saturday and Sunday in their NWC home-opening series. Saturday's games are scheduled for a Noon and 2 p.m. start. 
 
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