PORTLAND, Ore. – Lewis & Clark College softball opened Northwest Conference play and christened their new turf field at Huston Sports Complex on Saturday afternoon in style, defeating Willamette University 10-1 in a five-inning "mercy-rule" game one and 7-0 in game two in which senior Sam Gildersleeve set the program record for career home runs.
 
THE BASICS
 
Lewis & Clark 10, Willamette 1
Lewis & Clark 7, Willamette 0
(Lewis & Clark 6-4, 2-0 NWC)
(Willamette 3-7, 0-2 NWC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Gildersleeve hit her record-setting home run to left field as the lead-off batter in the top of the third inning in game two and was one of three Pioneers to send one out of the park against the Bearcats. She finished the day 4-5, scoring four runs, four RBI, two stolen bases, and recording her record-setting 27^th career home run. Gildersleeve broke a tie with former Pioneer Olivia Brackin on her first home run of the season.
 
Junior Katie Ingersoll and sophomores Madison Scroggins and Gina Ozuna joined Gildersleve with extra-base hits and multiple RBI on the day to lead Lewis & Clark. Ingersoll finished 3-5 with a triple and four RBI. Scroggins was 4-6 with four runs scored and three RBI, while Ozuna finished 2-4 with a home run and two RBI.
 
Sophomore pitchers Maggie O'Leary and Charlize Pope each pitched complete games and held Willamette to five hits and one run on the day.
 
GAME ONE RECAP
 
O'Leary pitched all five innings of game one, giving up two hits and one run. She struck out eight batters while walking just one Bearcat. O'Leary had a no-hitter going through four innings as the only base runner was the walk in the second inning.
 
Ozuna started a five-run third inning with her home run over the center field fence from the lead-off position. Two batters later, freshman Harper Campanella sent a ball over the left field fence with one out. Campanella's home run ball bounced off a tree and back into the field of play, but the umpire still ruled it a homer for her second of the season.
 
Senior Mari Alvarez hit a single to left field after Gildersleeve singled up the middle and then stole second base. While Gildersleeve slid into home for the score, Alvarez advanced to second. Scroggins stepped to the plate and hit an RBI double to left center field to score Alvarez.
 
Willamette made their first pitching change in the game and earned their second out of the inning with a flyout by sophomore McKenna Zehnder. The Bearcats then walked Cami Restagno while Scroggins advanced to third on a wild pitch. Scroggins then scored the fifth and final run of the inning on a passed ball.
 
With one out in the bottom of the fourth inning, Campanella singled through the right side. Willamette then hit the next two Pioneer batters to load the bases. Scroggins stepped to the plate and hit a two-RBI single, scoring Gildersleeve and junior Pippi Jepsen. Freshman Makena Dahir pinch-hit for Zehnder, and while she struck out, the catcher dropped the ball, and Dahir reached first before being thrown out on the play. Both Scroggins and Dahir advanced a base on a wild pitch while Restagno was at bat. Scroggins then scored on a throwing error by the Willamette pitcher. Restagno hit a single to score Dahir, and Ozuna earned an RBI, scoring Restagno two batters later for another five-run inning.
 
Down 10-0 in the top of the fifth, Willamette earned its first hit off of O'Leary to start the inning. A one-out double scored the Bearcats' baserunner from second, but O'Leary worked her way out of the inning and secured the win for the Pioneers.          
 
GAME TWO RECAP
 
Pope earned her third straight win and pitched her third complete game in five appearances, giving up only three hits and no runs while striking out three over seven innings.
 
The Pioneers earned two hits in the bottom of the first inning to pick up where they had left off. Sophomore Emily Patton hit a one-out double to right center, and Gildersleeve hit an RBI single through the left side to score Patton with two outs, putting Lewis & Clark up 1-0.
 
Ingersoll hit a two-RBI triple to right field in the next inning, putting the Pioneers up 3-0 after two innings.
 
Gildersleeve led off the third inning for Lewis & Clark, and leading the count 3-1, the senior swung at the fifth pitch and sent it over the left field fence for her record-breaking home run.
 
Alvarez earned an RBI on a single through the left side in the bottom of the fifth, scoring Gildersleeve for the 4-0 lead. With two outs in the inning, Ingersoll stepped to the plate and hit a two-RBI single up the middle, scoring Scroggins and sophomore Lola Jarrette, who was pinch-running for Alvarez.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Alvarez turned two double plays against the Bearcats in game two and led the team with eight putouts; Zehnder led the team with seven putouts and an assist in game one.
• Five Pioneers had seven stolen bases on the day; Gildersleeve and Restaggno each had two, while Ozuna, Jarette, and Ingersoll all finished with one.
• Campanella and Ozuna led the team with two home runs each this season and are tied with Gildersleeve with four extra bases hits.   
• Scroggins leads the team with 10 RBI this season.

WHO'S NEXT
 
The Pioneers continue their series against the Bearcats with a doubleheader on Sunday. The first game is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. at Huston Sports Complex.