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10 a.m.
Softball
Omaha
Iowa State University Athletics
Saturday, May 22
Columbia, Mo.
3:30 PM
Iowa State
33-22
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UIC
29-23
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Iowa State
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Iowa State Advances To First-Ever NCAA Regional Final
05.23.2021 | Softball
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Iowa State (34-22, 6-12 Big 12) advanced to the first NCAA Regional Final in program history on Saturday by winning a pair of elimination games at Mizzou Softball Stadium. Iowa State downed UIC (29-23, 23-11 Horizon), 4-0, to open the day before a 4-3 thriller over UNI (32-20, 20-7 MVC). Prior to Saturday, Iowa State had never won a game in the NCAA Softball Tournament.
Sophomore Carli Spelhaug hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh inning to break up a 3-3 vs. UNI in the night cap.
The Cyclones (2-1) will face Missouri (2-0) at 1 p.m. at Mizzou Softball Stadium in the Columbia Regional Final. Iowa State will need to beat the Tigers twice on Sunday in order to advance to Super Regionals.
Iowa State 4, UIC 0
Sophomore pitcher Karlie Charles was outstanding vs. UIC, leading the Cyclones to a 4-0 victory to open the day. The native of The Colony, Texas pitched a complete game shutout, allowing the Flames just four hits with two strikeouts.
The Cyclones broke through in the top of the third inning. Sami Williams notched a two-out single to give the Cyclones a spark before stealing second base. Junior Mikayla Ramos then stepped to the plate and crushed a two-run home run to right field, giving Iowa State a 2-0 lead. With the home run, Ramos became Iowa State's single-season RBI record-holder (56).
Iowa State tacked on two more runs in the top of the fifth. Spelhaug notched a single to center field, followed by a Ramos walk. A wild pitch then moved the duo over to second and third base with two outs. An infield single by Milaysia Ochoa allowed both runs to score, as the Cyclones' heads-up base-running helped extend the lead to 4-0.
Charles and the Cyclone defense sealed the deal from that point forward. Charles allowed just one base-runner over the game's final three innings, putting a cap on a dominant performance to help Iowa State stave off elimination.
Iowa State 4, UNI 3
The Cyclones came out fast in game two, looking to avenge a tournament-opening loss to the Panthers. Iowa State scored its first two runs of the day by taking advantage of a pair of Panther miscues, allowing Spelhaug to race home from first. Mikayla Ramos then stayed hot at the plate, looping a RBI single into center field, plating Williams.
Ramos would tack on the final run of the inning herself, scoring from third on a UNI wild pitch to put Iowa State in front 3-0 after one.
Shannon Mortimer entered in relief for the Cyclones with no outs in the bottom of the first inning, and put together an excellent outing. The junior hurler from South Grafton, Mass., kept the UNI bats quiet over the game's first five inning. It was not until the bottom of the sixth that the Panthers finally broke through.
RBI base hits by Kamryn Shaffer and Brooke Snider allowed UNI to pull even when head coach Jamie Pinkerton called on Charles once again. With the bases loaded, Charles rang up a pair of strikeouts to preserve the 3-3 tie and get Iowa State out of trouble once again.
Spelhaug's heroics proved to be the difference between going home and advancing to the regional final. With two away in the inning, the native of Bettendorf, Iowa sent a no-doubter over the fence in left field. It was her eighth home run of the season, and one of the biggest in Iowa State softball history.
Charles and the defense slammed the door shut in the home half of seventh, sending Iowa State to its first-ever regional final.
On Deck
The Cyclones (2-1) will face Missouri (2-0) at 1 p.m. at Mizzou Softball Stadium in the Columbia Regional Final. Iowa State will need to beat the Tigers twice on Sunday in order to advance to Super Regionals.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Charles, Karlie (13-8)
L: TONIOLO, Christina (12-8)
Batting:
HR: Ramos, Mikayla 1
RBI: Ramos, Mikayla 2 ; Ochoa, Milaysia 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Spelhaug, Carli 1 ; Williams, Sami 1 ; Ramos, Mikayla 2
SB: Spelhaug, Carli 1 ; Williams, Sami 1
Batting:
2B: MCELLIGOTT, Tara 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
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2
RBI
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3
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2
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2
RBI
2
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3
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1
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1
RBI
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4
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H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Softball
RHP
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/ SoftballC
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