MCMINNVILLE, Ore.—#2 Lewis & Clark College softball had their best season in program history come to a close on Sunday afternoon in the Northwest Conference Championship Series in a 6-2 loss to #1 Linfield University. 

THE BASICS
#1 Linfield 6, #2 Lewis & Clark 2
(Lewis & Clark 28-16)
(#1 Linfield 43-0) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Lewis & Clark dug themselves out of an early 2-0 lead to tie the game at 2-2 but Linfield scored three times in the fifth and added a single run in the sixth to capture their sixth-straight NWC Tournament Title. 
 
Sophomores Gina Ozuna and Megan Yanagi combined for the Pioneers two hits. Ozuna recorded a two-run single in the third inning and Yanagi added a pinch-hit double in the seventh. Freshman Makena Dahir worked a walk and sophomore McKenna Zehnder and junior Katie Ingersoll each scored for Lewis & Clark. 
 
In the circle, sophomores Maggie O'Leary and Charlize Pope combined to limit the hosts to seven hits. O'Leary earned the start and went 3.1 innings and gave up six hits, four walks and four runs (three earned). She also tacked on two strikeouts. Pope threw the final 2.2 innings and allowed just one hit, one walk and one run. 
 
Linfield fifth-year senior ace Tayah Kelley gave up two hits, one walk, two unearned runs and struck out 11. 
 
The number-one ranked team in the nation jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a single run in the first and second. In the first inning, Cydney Hess walked, took second on a Brynn Nelson single and scored on a Lewis & Clark error. 
 
Linfield tacked on a second run in the bottom of the second. With two outs, Ashley Sutton worked a walk and Tiani Wayton followed with a single. Kaili Saathoff extended the lead to 2-0 with a double to center field. 
 
After struggling to put the ball in play in the first two innings, Lewis & Clark took advantage of two Wildcats miscues to tie the game. With one down, Zehnder put down a bunt and reached on a fielding error. Ingersoll laid down a bunt of her own and both runners advanced an extra 60 feet on a throwing error. Ozuna laced a single through the right side to score both runners with Ingersoll sliding in just underneath the tag at home plate. 
 
Linfield threatened to retake the lead in the third. Nelson led off the inning with a single and her pinch runner advanced to third with two down. O'Leary came through with a full-count strikeout to keep the hosts off the board. 
 
The Wildcats retook the lead in the fourth. With one out, Sutton and Wayton worked back-to-back walks. Saathoff came through with a hard grounder through the right side that made it's way to the warning track in right-center to score both runners. Hess followed with a double to the wall in left-center to extend the lead to 5-2. Pope came out of the pen and retired Nelson with a fly out to left and induced a line out to Harper Campanella at third base to keep the score 5-2. 
 
Dahir worked a leadoff walk in the fifth. Pinch runner Pippi Jepsen moved up to third base on back-to-back sac bunts but Kelley retired the final batter with a pop up to keep the Pioneers off the board. 
 
Jacey Leyvas led off the top of the fifth with a home run to push the Wildcats lead to 6-2. The hosts threatened to add to their lead with runners at first and third with one out. Zehnder made a fantastic play to get the Pioneers out of the jam. The sophomore catcher dove to catch a popped up bunt in foul terriotory and then fired a strike to first to double up the runner for the third out. 
 
Yanagi led off the top of the seventh with a double that bounced directly on the foul line in right field. She took third base on a Lola Jarrette sac bunt but Kelley posted two final strikeouts to close out the tournament. 
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Lewis & Clark wraps up the season with the program record for wins (28), conference wins (20), batting average (.308), slugging percentage (.455), runs (275), hits (370), doubles (68), runs batted in (254), strikeouts thrown (225) and saves (six). The Pioneers also tied the program record with six shutouts by their pitching staff. 
• Senior Cassidy Crusberg (pinch hit) and Sofia Garcia (pinch hit) each made their first appearances of the NWC Tournament in Sunday's NWC Championship Series. 
• Ingersoll finished the weekend with a team-high three runs scored and added four hits in eight at-bats (.500) with one walks and two stolen bases. 
• Seniors Alyssa Hoeke and Crusberg each made their final collegiate appearances on Sunday. 
• Ozuna, Patton and Ingersoll all tied for team-high with four hits over the weekend. 

WHAT'S NEXT 
 
Lewis & Clark plans to return their entire starting lineup and their top five pitchers in terms of inning pitched next season.