LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Lewis & Clark College softball junior Emily Patton and senior Sam Gildersleeve were named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) West All-Region Team, the NFCA announced on Friday morning.
 
The duo each earned spots on the West Region All-Region Third Team. They are the first pair of Lewis & Clark teammates to earn All-Region accolades in the same season in the NCAA DIII era (1998-to present). Eleven Northwest Conference student-athletes were recognized and Lewis & Clark finished second only to Linfield University (six honorees). 
 
Patton is a first-time honoree after being named to the Northwest Conference First Team on Friday. The junior shortstop put together the best season of her career both offensively and defensively. Patton finished with new single-season career-highs in games played/games started (45), batting average (.385), on-base percentage (.442), slugging percentage (.446), hits (50), runs scored (36), runs batted in (27), total bases (58), walks (12) and stolen bases (15-16). She also added a career-high 84 assists and a .955 fielding percentage. She led the team in assists, finished tied for the team-high in hits and placed second on the roster in batting average and stolen bases.
 
Patton is one of just five players in program history to record 50 or more hits in a single-season. Her 15 steals are fifth-most in a single-season in program history. She will enter her senior season ranked seventh in Lewis & Clark history in career hits (134) and runs scored (82), 11^th in RBI (63) and 13^th in at-bats (383). 
 
Gildersleeve is the first two-time All-Region award winner for Lewis & Clark during the NCAA DIII era. The senior right fielder/designated player put together a fantastic fifth season in Orange and Black. She played in all 45 games and made 44 starts to earn NWC Honorable Mention Team All-Conference honors. Gildersleeve led the team in on-base percentage (.450), slugging percentage (.654), RBI (37), triples (five), home runs (six), total bases (87) and stolen bases (20-22). She also finished tied for the team lead in hits (50), and runs scored (42). She tacked on 36 putouts and two assists in right field. 
 
Gildersleeve finished amongst the single-season program leaders in multiple categories. She tied with junior Gina Ozuna for the most runs scored in a single-season. She also matched Patton as one of the five players in program history to reach 50 hits in a single-season. Her 87 total bases are tied for second most in a single-season in L&C history and she ranks second in stolen bases and fifth in RBI for a single year. Over the course of her five seasons at Palatine Hill, Gildersleeve set the program record for career RBI (135), runs scored (132) and home runs (42). She ranks top-three all-time in program history in hits (186 – second), at-bats (498 – second), slugging percentage (.665 – second base), games played/games started (184/164 – second) and stolen bases (47 – third).