main content Softball Team Hits It Out of the Park

The softball team celebrates Makena Dahir's walk-off home run.
Credit: Seth Orensky

Softball put together the best season in program history this past spring. Lewis & Clark came into the year projected to finish fifth in the Northwest Conference (NWC) and exceeded everyone’s expectations. The team set program records for overall wins (28) and conference wins (20) en route to earning their second-ever trip to the Northwest Conference Tournament.

L&C kicked off the year by sweeping rival Willamette in the first four games played on Lewis & Clark’s brand-new turf field at the Huston Sports Complex. The Pioneers went on to win their conference series with six of the seven teams in the NWC and earned their highest-ever finish in the conference standings (second place). In the first game of the postseason, Lewis & Clark defeated No. 3 Pacific Lutheran 8-3 to earn their first-ever NWC Tournament win. The Pioneers came back the next day and earned a thrilling 8-7 comeback win over the Lutes to punch their ticket to the NWC Championship Series. After trailing 5-0 early, first-year Makena Dahir hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning, giving Lewis & Clark their first and only lead of the game (8-7).

Eight players earned All-Conference honors at the end of the season, led by senior Sam Gildersleeve. The outfielder was named to the NWC First Team and the All-Region Second Team after setting the program record for career home runs (36). Sophomore pitcher Maggie O’Leary and first-year designated player Harper Campanella joined Gildersleeve on the NWC First Team. It marked the first time in program history softball had multiple players named to the First Team. As a team, Lewis & Clark set 11 single-season program records, including posting the most runs, hits, and RBIs in a season. The pitching staff added records for most strikeouts and saves in a year.