Luther conjures up more magic

CEDAR RAPIDS – There was a little magic remaining in Luther's hat.

The Norse reached in to pull out another thrilling win over Coe and their second straight extra-inning victory.

Alise Miller broke a scoreless tie with a two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning, giving No. 2 seed Luther a 2-0 win over the top-seeded Kohawks in the Iowa Conference softball tournament Saturday at Clark Field. The Norse advance to the winner's bracket final, awaiting the consolation winner Sunday at noon.

Luther's Becca Girvan and Coe's Arran Weeces engaged in a pitcher's duel for seven innings until Miller stepped to the plate for her final at-bat. The Norse designated hitter fulfilled her duties, ripping a 1-0 pitch over the left-center field fence with one on and one out.

'I love to do my job and contribute,” Miller said. 'The defense played great, so all I had to do was step in in and hit the ball.”

Miller, a former all-Mississippi Valley Conference player at Iowa City West, smacked her fifth home run of the season, but her first game-winning blast in extra innings. Katie Wieland walked to set things up and Miller said she felt relief when she heard it cleared the fence and looked up to see her mom, Kayleen Miller, celebrating in the outfield bleachers.

'My mindset was I can hit the ball no different than any other at-bat,” Miller said. 'Just go up and hit it like I know I can and like I have 100 times in practice.”

Luther Coach Renae Hartl said Miller was an opposite-field hitter her first two seasons. The right-hander has pulled the ball more this season, doubling her number of career home runs.

'Her timing is better,” Hartl said. 'It's better this year.”

Girvan and Weeces struck out nine batters and allowed three hits apiece. Baserunners were at a premium for both teams. Hartl said she knew it was going to take something big for an edge.

'Either way, it was probably going to take a home run,” said Hartl, praising both batteries and defenses. 'The pitching was so good on both sides. The execution of two hits in an inning just hadn't happened and probably wasn't going to happen.”

The Norse (29-6) have produced dramatic victories, including two with late home runs over Coe in a doubleheader sweep at Decorah on April 12. On Friday, Kristen Winter delivered a walk-off home run in the eighth for a 5-4 win over Buena Vista.

'We don't talk about winning,” Hartl said. 'We talk about the process of winning. I f we do the things we're supposed to do, that we've done a thousand times, if things go our way and we execute then we'll be on the line to get the win.

'They played just as well as we did. We connected on one pitch.”

Coe (34-7) had opportunities. The Kohawks ran into outs twice. Luther catcher Kayla Hatting threw out baserunners attempting to steal for the third out in the third and the fifth. Abby Flannagan, Taylor Riedl and Erin Lang all had hits for the Kohawks. Flannagan also walked twice.

Coe had multiple runners on in the second and in the eighth, but Girvan buckled down and avoided any damage. Girvan (17-3) worked out the kinks in her start Friday.

'She threw sharper (Saturday),” Hartl said. 'She threw harder and nothing had changed. She was grounded and went for it.”

Luther is in good position to win its second straight IIAC tournament title and its fourth in five seasons. The Norse have already one it four times since its inception in 2006. Someone will have to knock them off twice Sunday. Their position alleviates some of the stress.

'It's always a good feeling,” Miller said. 'You still like to win the first one but there's some pressure taken off our shoulders because we know they have to beat us twice.”

Coe plays in an elimination game Sunday at 10 a.m.

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