Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ATLANTA, Ga.—Lewis & Clark College softball senior Charlize Pope threw 8.0 innings of scoreless relief and first year Cici Fortuno came through with a go-ahead single in the top of the seventh inning of game two, to lead the River Otters to a doubleheader split on Day One of the Eagles Elite Invitational. 
 
THE BASICS 
 
#22 Emory University 3, Lewis & Clark 2
Lewis & Clark 2, Pfeiffer University 1
(Lewis & Clark 6-6) 
(Emory 9-7) 
(Pfeiffer 12-5) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Runs were at a premium in all three games on Friday morning at Emory's Cooper Field. Lewis & Clark fell behind 3-0 in game one and their late rally fell just short. The River Otters would held Pfeiffer to one early run in game two and then scored two runs in the top of the seventh on a Fortuno single to down the Falcons. 
 
Pope came on in relief in both games and was lights out. The senior limited Emory and Pfeiffer to four hits and three walks and struck out two to earn her first win of the season. She came on with runners on in both outings and stranded the runners on base, before shutting out the opposition the rest of the way. 
 
Fortuno made the most of her opportunities on Friday. The first year went 2-5 with a run scored and two RBI. 
 
GAME ONE RECAP 
 
#22 Emory scored three unearned runs in the third inning and found a way out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning, to defeat the River Otters in game one. 
 
Senior Gina Ozuna led Lewis & Clark offensively with two hits in three at-bats and an RBI. Fortuno added a pinch-hit single and a run scored and junior Harper Campanella belted a double. 
 
In the circle, senior Maggie O'Leary allowed four hits and three unearned runs over 2.2 innings. She added three strikeouts. Pope threw the final 3.1 innings and scattered three hits, one walk and struck out one. 
 
Neither team was able to get anything going offensive through the first 2.5 innings. O'Leary retired the side in order in the first and struck out two. She added a third strikeout in the second inning and worked around a one-out single. 
 
Emory struck for all three of their runs in the bottom of the third. With two down and a runner on second, a dropped pop-up by the River Otters defense allowed the Eagles to put runners on the corners. Emory opened the scoring on a wild pitch and then used a single and a two-run double to stretch their lead to 3-0. Pope came on with a runner on second and induced a fly out to left field to get out of the inning. 
 
In the fourth inning, Allie Stevenson tripled to left with one out but Pope produced a ground out to third and a fly out to left to keep the score at 3-0. 
 
Lewis & Clark responded with a pair of runs in the fifth. Senior Lacey Marglin opened the inning with a hit by pitch. Fortuno came on as a pinch-hitter and produced a single to left to put two runners on with one out. Ozuna cut the deficit to 3-1 with a single to center field that scored Marglin from second. After a pitching change, first year Kodie Ancheta reached on a fielder's choice when Emory failed to record an out on the play. Senior Madison Scroggins made it 3-2 with a bases-loaded, hit by pitch. The Emory reliever induced back-to-back fly outs to leave the bases loaded in the inning.
 
The River Otters were retired in order in the sixth and seven innings to close out the game. 
 
GAME TWO RECAP 
 
Pfeiffer jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second but Lewis & Clark came through with a two-run rally in the seventh inning to earn their first win of the trip. 
 
Fortuno and Campanella each posted two hits in game two. Fortuno went 2-4 with a pair of RBI and Campanella finished the contest 2-3. Junior Makena Dahir (one run) and Ancheta each chipped in a base hit. 
 
In the circle, Pope picked up her first win of the season by throwing a season-high 4.2 innings. She held Pfeiffer to three hits, two walks and struck out one. First year Sammy Santa Ana earned her third start of the season and allowed four hits, three walks and one run in 2.1 innings. 

Lewis & Clark's defense came up big in the contest. The River Otters threw two runners out at the plate and added a double play. 

Pfeiffer loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning but Lewis & Clark threw the runner out at home on a fielder's choice and Santa Ana induced a ground out to keep the score 1-0. 

The "home" team scored their lone run in the second. Natalie Auma worked a lead-off walk, took second on a sac bunt, third on a wild pitch and scored on a Charly Coope sac fly. The next batter hit a line drive into right-center field and tried to race all the way home for an inside-the-park home run. Lewis & Clark would throw the runner out at home thanks to strong relay throws from Fortuno and Ozuna. 

With the bases loaded and one out in the third, Lewis & Clark brought Pope on in relief. The senior induced a lineout to second to Ozuna and a pop up to Ozuna to keep the score 1-0. 

The River Otters turned an inning-ending double play in the fifth. On a grounder up the middle, Emily Patton tossed the ball to Ozuna at second and she fired on to first. 

After putting runners on in four of the first six innings, Lewis & Clark broke through in the top of the seventh. Senior Lola Jarrette worked a pinch-hit walk to open the inning. With one out, senior McKenna Zehnder was hit by a pitch to put the winning run aboard. Dahir came through with what looked like a game-tying single, but Jarrette was ruled out at the plate on a bang-bang play for the second out. Ozuna worked a walk to load the bases with two down. With the game on her shoulders, Fortuno laced a single to left field and Zehnder and Dahir each raced home to make it 2-1. 

Pfeiffer put a runner on with one out but Pope retired the final two batters with a fielder's choice and a fly out to right. 
  
BY THE NUMBERS 

• With the first win of her senior season, Pope moved into a tie for second in program history for career wins (28) with Jauna Williams ('03) and Alyssa Abe ('23). Pope also moved into fifth place in career strikeouts (194) on Friday. 
• Both Emory and Pfeiffer competed in the 2025 NCAA DIII Tournament. Pfeiffer earned a 3-2 win over Northwest Conference school Pacific Lutheran University on March 8. 
• After giving up multiple earned runs in her first three outings/starts of the season, Pope has thrown 10 scoreless innings of relief in her first three appearances out of the bullpen. Her ERA for the season has dropped from 7.00 to 3.32 during that span. 
• Fortuno doubled her career RBI total with her go-ahead, two-run single. The first year has posted six of her seven hits this season and all four of her RBI in her past four appearances. 
• Campanella is riding a team-best, six-game hitting streak. The junior also leads the team with seven multi-hit games. 
• After committing 12 errors in their first four games, Lewis & Clark has committed one or fewer errors in their last eight games (five total). 

WHO'S NEXT 
 
Lewis & Clark will wrap up the Eagles Elite Invitational with two more games on Saturday. The River Otters will take host Pfeiffer at 7 a.m. (Pacific) and then host #22 Emory at 11 a.m. (Pacific).