The race for the championship of the Iowa Women's Softball League came down to the very last pitch in the very last game of the year Sunday.
Ally Johnson of UNI delivered an RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to snap a 3-3 tie and give Emil's Hideaway a dramatic 4-3 victory over Ironside Apparel at Busse Field.
The outcome prevented Ironside Apparel from winning the IWSL championship and handed the crown to Bosch Financial.
Bosch Financial finished with a 10-3-3 record for the 16-game season, with Ironside finishing at 8-3-5.
EMIL'S HIDEAWAY PLAYS SPOILER
Emil's Hideaway played its best softball of the season Sunday in the final doubleheader of the year, tying Ironside Apparel 2-2 in the opener and claiming the 4-3 verdict in the nightcap.
The second game was tied, 3-3, entering the bottom of the seventh. Skylar Hop of Mount Mercy and Katie Smith of Ellsworth led off the bottom of the seventh with singles, but Emily Oler of Mount Mercy got the next two outs before Johnson came to the plate.
Johnson roped a base hit to left-center that drove in the winning run and ended the game.
Hop went 3-for-3 with two RBIs for Emil's in the victory. Ann Smolenski of Winona State had two hits. Bethany Koskamp, formerly of Central College, had an RBI single. Lily Dahlstrom of Cornell College pitched four strong innings in relief for the victory in her first appearance in the IWSL.
Adara Opiola of UNI belted a two-run homer for Ironside in the 4-3 setback. Ciera Hansen of Loras had two hits.
Shelby Hulsebus of Kirkwood and Hansen had RBIs for Ironside Apparel in the 2-2 tie in the opener. Erica Oler of UNI pitched six strong innings for Ironside, allowing two runs.
Natalie Halvorson pitched five shutout innings for Emil's Hideaway in the 2-2 deadlock. Alyssa Barnhart of Buena Vista made a sensational catch in left field for Emil's to save a run.
BOSCH SPLITS WITH HAWKEYE
Hawkeye Convenience Stores clipped Bosch Financial, 4-2, in the first game of their doubleheder. Lauren Kuch of Grand View had a two-run triple in the fifth inning when Hawkeye scored all four of its runs.
Brooke Goodman of Dubuque went 2-for-2 with a double for Hawkeye Convenience Stores. Monika Bevans, formerly of Kirkwood, also went 2-for-2. Sarah Lehman of Iowa tossed a complete game for the victory with seven strikeouts.
Payton Bruner of Mount Mercy had two hits for Bosch Financial in the opener.
Bosch Financial won the second game of the doubleheader, 3-2. Kaylee Watson of Grand View had a two-run double for Bosch and Elison Ollinger of Belmont delivered an RBI single. Autumn McDanel of Belmont got the victory in relief.
IOWA WOMEN'S SOFTBALL LEAGUE
Sunday's Results
At Busse Field
Hawkeye Convenience Stores 4, Bosch Financial 2
Bosch Financial 3, Hawkeye Convenience Stores 2
Emil's Hideaway 2, Ironside Apparel 2 (tie)
Emil's Hideaway 4, Ironside Apparel 3
Final Standings
1. Bosch Financial 10-3-3
2. Ironside Apparel 8-3-5
3. Hawkeye Convenience Stores 4-8-4
4. Emil's Hideaway 3-11-2
End Of Season