TACOMA, Wash.—Lewis & Clark College softball is aiming to win their first-ever Northwest Conference Tournament Title this weekend, when they take travel to Pacific Lutheran University for the 2026 NWC Tournament. The whole tournament will take place in Tacoma, with play starting on Friday and resuming on Sunday. 
 
OPENING MATCHUP 
 
#3 Lewis & Clark College vs. #2 Linfield University 
(Lewis & Clark 26-14, NWC 21-7) 
(Pacific Lutheran 34-6, NWC 22-6) 

GAME SCHEDULE – DOUBLE ELIMINATION TOURNAMENT 
 
Game 1: #4 George Fox at #1 Pacific Lutheran 10 a.m.
Game 2: #3 Lewis & Clark at #2 Linfield University 12:30 p.m.
Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 - 3pm (Loser Eliminated) 
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs Winner of Game 2 – 5:30 pm (Winner Advanced to NWC Championship Series) 
 
Sunday, May 3^rd
 
Game 5 - 11 AM - Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 (Loser Eliminated)
Game 6 - 1:30 PM - Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5
Game 7 - 4 PM - Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 6 (If Necessary)
 
Ticketing Info: Tickets for the 2026 NWC Tournament are: 
$12 for Adults. 
$10 for Military and Seniors. 
$5 for Youth (12 and under). 
Tickets are good for the entire day. TICKET LINK
 
Spectator Parking: Parking will be limited and first come, first serve. Parking Map: LINK
 
Live Coverage: There will be live stats and video (through Flo Sports) available for every game. Links will be available on golcathletics.com. 
 
PREVIOUS MEETINGS: Softball finished 6-6 against the other three Northwest Conference Tournament teams. The River Otters played the other three playoff teams in quick succession, including playing Pacific Lutheran University and George Fox University in a five-day span over Spring Break. 
 
Lewis & Clark traveled to Tacoma to start the busy period with a four-game, midweek series against the Lutes. After dropping the first games 4-1 and 7-6 in nine innings, Lewis & Clark turned around and swept PLU with back-to-back 5-4 victories. Junior Harper Campanella hit a three-run homer in both games. Her homer in game two, came in the top of the seventh inning with two outs, to lead the comeback effort. 
 
The River Otters came back two days later and earned a home sweep of George Fox University (5-4, 4-3 (10 innings). Lewis & Clark raced out to a 5-0 lead in game one and senior Maggie O'Leary allowed one earned run and four hits. In game two, Campanella hit a three-run homer in the first but the Bruins tied the score at 3-3 in the fourth. First year Kodie Ancheta closed out the game with a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 10^thinning to score senior Tallulah Sickels. The two teams split Day Two, with Lewis & Clark winning a wild Game One (13-10) in Newberg and falling just short in Game Two (7-5). The River Otters grabbed leads of 5-0, 8-2 and 10-7 in game one before scoring the final three runs. Junior Makena Dahir hit two home runs and drove in six runs in the opener. George Fox jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the nightcap and held off a Lewis & Clark rally that saw the River Otters cut the deficit to 5-4 in the sixth. 
 
Softball traveled to McMinnville two weeks later for a four-game set. Lewis & Clark opened the series with one of the longest games in program history. The two teams went to extras with the game tied 2-2 and both teams scored in the 11^th. Softball eventually earned a 5-3 victory in 13 innings thanks to RBI from Sickels and senior Lacey Marglin in the 13th. O'Leary threw the final 11 innings in relief and allowed two runs (one earned). Linfield would take the middle two games of the series in five innings, before Lewis & Clark nearly took the finale. Softball took a 4-2 lead in the fifth inning on an RBI single from Madison Scroggins and a two-run double from senior Gina Ozuna. #3 Linfield responded with three runs in the seventh inning to earn the series win. 
 
SCOUTING THE RIVER OTTERS 
 
After a 1-5 start to the season, Lewis & Clark found their footing and put together a third-straight banner season. The River Otters tied the program record for most conference wins (21-7) and sit third in program history with their 26 victories (26-14). Softball will be making their third-straight NWC Tournament appearance and fourth in program history (2021). Lewis & Clark has reached the NWC Championship Series as one of the final two teams in each of the past two years. 
 
This year's team ranks second in all of NCAA Division III in sacrifice bunts (51), 22^nd in hit by pitches (30), 30^thin sacrifice flies (16), 36^th in home runs (22) and 45^th in home runs per game (0.55). They have relied heavily on their pitching and defense which are both amongst the nation's leaders. They sit 34^th in the country with eight shutouts and 95^th overall with a 3.21 team ERA. Defensively, the River Otters sit 46^th in fielding percentage (.965) and 77^th in double plays turned (12). The program enters the weekend ranked 51^st in the NCAA Power Index (NPI) and the River Otters sit just off the line to earn an at-large spot to the NCAA Tournament. The NPI debuted last season and is the new standard to rank teams that the NCAA will use to determine at-large berths for the NCAA Tournaments. Lewis & Clark received at an-large bid to the NCAA Tournament last season to earn their first-ever trip to NCAAs. 
 
O'Leary has led a young but deep Lewis & Clark pitching staff. The senior leads the team and ranks in the top-three in the conference in wins (17), ERA (2.62), innings pitched (133.2), strikeouts (102) and saves (two). Fellow senior Charlize Pope owns a 3.07 ERA in 54.2 innings pitched – which both rank second on the team. Juniors Ryan Jurischk and Sofia Garcia and first year Sammy Santa Ana and Kara Kahahawai have all pitched key innings in conference play this year. 
 
Six Lewis & Clark players enter the weekend with an above .300 batting average. Scroggins leads the team with a .375 average with 42 hits, 27 runs and 11 RBI in 40 starts in left field. Ancheta (.356) and All-Region senior shortstop Emily Patton (.350) sit second and third on the team in batting average and lead the team with 47 and 43 hits. Campanella and Dahir have provided the brunt of the power in the middle of the River Otters lineup. Campanella has hit nine home runs and driven in a team-high 34 runs. Dahir has been on a tear lately and leads the team with 18 extra-base hits (9 doubles and 9 home runs) and sits second with 28 RBI. Ozuna (.318) and senior Cami Restagno (.303) are the final two regulars hitting over .300. 
 
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS 
 
The seven-time defending NWC Champions find themselves in an unfamiliar position this weekend – having to go on the road. Linfield will be traveling for the NWC Tournament for the first time since 2021. This year's team is ranked seventh in the National Fastpitch Coaches' Association Poll and 10th in the NPI. They went undefeated in non-conference play (12-0) but lost six conference games including three to PLU and two to George Fox. Lewis & Clark was the only team to defeat Linfield in McMinnville – as the Wildcats finished 15-1 at Del Smith Stadium. 
 
The Wildcats have relied on a high-powered offense and their top two pitchers for most of the season. They lead all of Division III for home runs (57) and sit second with 1.43 homers per game. Linfield also ranks in the top-10 in total runs (334 – third), runs per game (8.35 – sixth), slugging percentage (.577 – seventh) and hits (390 – ninth). Their pitching staff ranks 42^nd in NCAA DIII in ERA (2.47) and they have posted nine shutouts (24^th). 
 
Senior catcher Ashlyn Aven has put together a career year. Aven leads the nation in home runs (20), RBI (72) and total bases (128). Junior Meara Sain sits 10^th in DIII in hits (63) and sophomore Breana Bartek is eighth in runs (55) and 16^th in hits (61). Junior ace Tyler McNeley and first year Cornwell Destiny form one of the best one-two punches in the NWC. McNeley is 19-4 this year with a 2.24 ERA in 140.1 innings pitched. First year Destiny Cornwell owns a 15-2 record with a 2.66 ERA in 110.1 innings pitched. 
 
#4 George Fox at #1 Pacific Lutheran University
 
The Lutes have been the surprise team in the Northwest Conference this season. After placing fourth in the NWC a year ago, PLU sits 21^st in the NFCA Coaches' Poll and 19^th in the NPI. They went 24-4 in conference play and took the NWC season series from everyone but Lewis & Clark (2-2). They posted a 13-3 mark at PLU Field with their only losses coming to L&C and Linfield. They rank in the top-15 nationally in a number of categories: RBI (270 – seventh), hits (390- ninth), fielding percentage (.973 – 10^th) and home runs (33 – 11^th). Senior Paola Garcia sits second in DIII in home runs (13) and fourth in total hits (68). In the circle, junior Paige Wilson is 18-1 with a 2.24 ERA and 120 strikeouts in 118.2 innings pitched. 
 
George Fox had an up-and-down season after nearly making the NCAA Tournament as an at-large team in 2025. The Bruins clinched a playoff spot to the NWC Tournament on the second-to-last-day of the regular season. George Fox earned wins over two top-10 teams in the nation in Redlands (1-1) and Linfield (2-2) in early March and added a win over then #21 Depauw University to close out non-conference play. Things did not go as smoothly in conference play when they returned to the PNW. The Bruins lost three out of four games to Lewis & Clark and PLU and lost at least one game to every team but Willamette in NWC play. Just like Linfield and PLU, the Bruins rank in the top-10 in the country in home runs with 34 (seventh). They rank fourth in the NWC Tournament field in batting average (.275) and ERA (3.55) and third in fielding percentage (.955). Junior Sami Stadtlander leads the team with seven home runs and is tied with junior Tinley Taylor with 18 extra-base hits. In the circle, the Bruins use three pitchers frequently, with sophomore Nicole Ledendecker leading the team with a 10-4 record and 52 strikeouts. 
 
WHAT'S NEXT 
 
Lewis & Clark will play a second game on Friday. If they win their opener, they will play the winner of game one (#4 George Fox vs #1 PLU) at 5:30 p.m. If the River Otters lose their opener, they will play directly afterwards at 3 p.m. against the loser of George Fox and PLU. This year's tournament schedule was adjusted due to George Fox having their graduation on Saturday.