MCMINNVILLE, ORE.—Lewis & Clark College sophomores Charlize Pope and Maggie O'Leary combined to hold #1 Linfield to their fewest runs of the season, but #2 Lewis & Clark College softball fell just short, in a 1-0 loss to the Wildcats. 
 
THE BASICS
#1 Linfield 1, Lewis & Clark 0
(Lewis & Clark 27-15) 
(Linfield 42-0) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Pope and O'Leary combined to hold the Wildcats to two singles, a double and three walks and their fewest runs since last year's College World Series. 
 
With the loss, Lewis & Clark will play again on Saturday at 5 p.m. The Pioneers will play the winner of Saturday's second game between #3 Pacific Lutheran and #4 Willamette University with a spot in Sunday's Northwest Conference Championship Series on the line. 
 
Pope got the start and allowed three hits, three walks and one earned run over five-plus innings. O'Leary came on in the sixth with two runners on and stranded both runners with a pair of strikeouts and a force out at the plate. 
 
Junior Katie Ingersoll went 2-2 with a pair of singles to lead the Pioneers offense. Freshman Harper Campanella added a single. 
 
Linfield fifth-year senior Tayah Kelley moved to 25-0 after throwing all seven innings. Kelley allowed three hits, no walks and no runs and struck out 13. 
 
After both teams went down 1-2-3 in the first, Campanella recorded the first base hit of the game with a hard-hit single deep into the hole on the left-side with one down. Kelley retired the next two batters with strikeouts to close out the inning. 
 
Ingersoll reached in the second inning when she beat out an infield bunt single with one down. Ingersoll stole second but was stranded after two more strikeouts. 
 
Linfield struck for their only run of the contest in the third inning. Tiani Wayton worked a one-out walk and stole second. Kaili Saathoff made it 1-0 when she hit a high-hopper through the infield that deflected off the top of Pope's glove into center field. With runners at second and third, Pope induced a grounder to third and Campanella made the play to leave two runners on. 
 
Linfield threatened to add to their lead in their final two at-bats.
 
In the fifth, Saathoff recorded a one-out double. Pope struck out the next batter, intentionally walked Brynn Nelson and then got Claire Seats to fly out to right to end the rally. 
 
Both teams put pressure on in the sixth. In the top half, Ingersoll slashed a single over the third baseman to give the Pioneers their first leadoff baserunner of the game. Kelley settled in and retired the next three batters to leave a third baserunner on base. 
 
The Wildcats put each of the first two runners on in the bottom of the inning. Jacey Leyvas led off with a hit by pitch and was replaced on the basepaths by Annika Dayberry. Dayberry took second on a wild pitch and third on a throwing error. Sophia vanderSommen worked a walk to force a pitching change. vanderSommen stole second on the first pitch from O'Leary to put two runners in scoring position with no outs. O'Leary got the first out of the inning on a squeeze play. O'Leary scooped the bunt and threw it to McKenna Zehnder at home. While the throw was slightly late, Dayberry overslid home plate and Zehnder applied the tag for the first out. After pinch runner Lexiss Antle stole second, O'Leary struck out the next two batters looking on 3-2 pitches to keep the Wildcats off the board. 
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Ingersoll is the second Pioneer to record multiple hits in an NWC Tournament game. Junior Olivia Brackin went 2-2 with a home run in the Pioneers first-ever NWC Tournament game (also against Linfield). 
• Linfield's one run was the fewest the Wildcats have scored in their past 43 games. The Wildcats had scored multiple runs in their first 41 contests and their final game of last year's NCAA DIII College World Series. 
• In three starts this year against Linfield, Pope has allowed just six runs in 19+ innings (2.21 ERA). 
• Ingersoll extended her hitting streak to four games on Saturday. She is 6-10 with three runs, one walk and a stolen base over the last four games. 
• Campanella also is riding a four-game hitting streak. She is 5-13 with two runs and six RBI during that span. Campanella has now hit safely in 32 of 42 games during her freshman campaign. 

WHO'S NEXT 
 
#2 Lewis & Clark will play the winner of #3 Pacific Lutheran and #4 Willamette University at 5 p.m. this afternoon. The winner of the 5 p.m. game will advance to Sunday's NWC Championship Series against #1 Linfield. The first game is now scheduled at Noon.