Your Prep Sports

It took four days and a late rally but Regina has moved one win away from a return to the state softball tournament.

Class 2A No. 14 Regina scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to stun third-ranked Louisa-Muscatine 8-7 on Monday in Letts in the completion of a Region 7 semifinal that was suspended by rain on Friday in the fifth inning.

The win sends Regina (18-12) to the Region 7 title game where it will be seeking its first state tournament bid since 2018 when it hosts Cardinal (17-13) on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Cardinal defeated No. 11 Wapello 4-3 in the quarterfinals and No. 15 Van Buren 3-0 in the semifinals.

Louisa-Muscatine (20-9) led Regina 2-0 and 5-3 on Friday but the Regals pulled even in the fifth on a two-run double by Annie Gahan.

With the score tied at 5-5 going to the bottom of the fifth the game was suspended by a thunderstorm featuring heavy rain.

The game was initially schedule to resume at 10 a.m. on Saturday but more rain creating wet field conditions forced the completion of the game to be pushed back to Monday at 5 p.m.

When the game finally resumed Louisa-Muscatine wasted little time taking control.

The first batter after the delay, Jersey Lessenger singled to lead off the Falcon fifth inning and McKenna Hohenadel followed with a two-run home run to left field.

Louisa-Muscatine led 7-5 until the top of the seventh when Regina mounted one final rally.

Jaelynn Ernst led off the inning with a double and scored on an Emma Nibaur double.

After Morgan Gahan struck out Courtney Kessler singled to left to score Nibaur tying the game at 7-7.

Gahan gave Regina an 8-7 lead with an RBI double to center field and Nibaur worked a scoreless seventh inning to secure the win.

Annie Gahan finished 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and three RBI and Kessler went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored.

Nibaur had a double, two RBI and scored two runs while Ernst doubled and scored a run.

Nibaur earned the win allowing seven runs, four earned, on 11 hits while striking out four in seven innings.

Regina                                       003  020  3  –  8   8   2

Louisa-Muscatine                 202  120  0  –  7  11  2  

W – Emma Nibaur                              L – Piper Brant

2B – ICR: Annie Gahan (2), Emma Nibaur, Jaelyn Ernst. L-M: Mallory Mashek, McKenzie Kissel (2)

HR – L-M: McKenna Hohenadel

Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by donating.