Missouri softball nabs dramatic win

The Missouri softball team made needed a dramatic comeback to defeat the Iowa Hawkeyes in the first game its NCAA regional Friday in Iowa City.

Senior Amanda Renth hit a two-out, 2-RBI single up the middle in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the game 2-2.

Then, third baseman Lindsey Ubrun gave the Tigers a 3-2 victory with a lead-off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Junior Stacy Delaney (19-3) pitched all eight innings of the extra-inning victory. She gave up just one earned run while allowing eight Iowa hits.

Renth and freshman centerfielder Rhea Taylor were the only Missouri players with multiple hits in the game. Taylor was 2-for-4 and scored the tying run while Renth also finished with two hits.

The win means the Tigers will remain in the winner’s bracket of the double elimination tournament, a position MU coach Ehren Earleywine said was vital to his teams’ chances of advancing to next weekend’s super regionals.

Missouri will face the regional’s top seed, Long Beach State, at noon Saturday. The 49ers also needed extra innings to defeat Creighton 2-1 Friday night. A win would move the Tigers into Sunday’s championship game.