NISC Championship Round: Game 3

Championship Round Day 2
IOWA STATE 7, LIBERTY 2

FORT COLLINS, CO – Back-to-back home runs from Sami Williams and Taylor Nearad got the offense going for Iowa State, and Savannah Sanders pitched six strong innings as the Cyclones topped Liberty in an elimination game Saturday at the NISC.

With the victory, Iowa State (36-24) advances to the 4 p.m. MT game Saturday, set to face Loyola Marymount or UT Arlington in hopes of moving on to Sunday’s title game. Liberty’s season comes to a close with a record of 40-22.

The Flames jumped ahead 1-0 in the first inning on an RBI double from Sarah Robertson, but the Cyclones answered with five runs in the bottom of the frame. After the long balls from Williams and Nearad, Mikayla Ramos drove in two more with a single, on a play where Liberty missed potential outs on two baserunners. Logan Schaben got the final RBI of the inning on a bunt that scored Ramos on a close play at the plate.

Williams (RBI double) and Nearad (run-scoring groundout) struck again in the fourth inning as Iowa State edged ahead, 7-1.

Sanders worked around four errors by the defense, allowing eight hits. The first two batters on the seventh for Liberty reached base, and Emma Hylen came in to relieve – Hylen struck out two batters and got the final out on a tapper to the circle.