a—Messenger photo by Britt Kudla North Scott’s Sam Lee dives for a ball against Oskaloosa during a Class 4A quarterfinal on Tuesday at Rogers Park. The Lancers won 3-2 in eight innings. For more photos, visit CU at messengernews.net

It’s something every Iowa softball player dreams about.

Bases loaded, extra innings at the state tournament inside Rogers Park.

For North Scott junior Sam Lee, it was a dream come true.

Lee delivered a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Lancers a dramatic 3-2 win over Oskaloosa in the Class 4A quarterfinals Tuesday afternoon.

“I was ready for this. I thought ‘bring it,'” said Lee, who came up after Oskaloosa intentionally walked Rachel Anderson to load the bases.

“Coach said before I went up that a sacrifice fly would win it. I knew something good would happen,” Lee added.

Lee’s game-winner capped a furious rally for North Scott, which trailed 2-0 after the first inning.

The Lancers tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the sixth.

“We just stayed up the entire game,” said Lee. “We had energy all game. We knew we could score two runs. We just had to get on their pitcher.”

North Scott (27-14) moves into the semifinals against Charles City Today at 5:30 p.m. on the Iowa Central Field.

“That was just awesome,” said North Scott Coach Holly Hoelting, who was coaching in her first state tournament game. “Winning that first game is so important. It helps to get rid of the jitters. I kept telling the girls it’s only two runs. We were acting like it was 7-0.”

Lee’s sacrifice scored Kate Hayes from third base, but it was a bang-bang play at the plate as Oskaloosa centerfielder Maleahy Walker delivered a laser to home. But Hayes was able to get under the tag for the game winner.

North Scott had just two hits before rallying with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Taylor Robertson started it off with a single and Brooke Kilburg followed with a walk.

Rachel Anderson then delivered a double to right that just got past the diving effort of Oskaloosa’s right fielder.

Pinch-hitter Kaylee Gerardy, who had one previous at-bat all year, struck out to end the threat.

“Kaylee had played a lot of JV and hit the ball well. It was all about her mindset. She was really into the game the entire time,” Hoelting said. “I thought she was going to come up and hit the game-winner,”

Oskaloosa (25-15) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning.

Meghan Moorman singled to start the game and scored on a two-out double by Abby Braundmeier. Braundmeier then scored on a single by Maddie Haines.

Oskaloosa pitcher Hayle Hacker was on cruise control for most of the game. She struck out four and faced just one batter over the minimum from the second through the fifth.

The Indians actually chased North Scott starter Ashlyn Shannon in the second inning. But Drew Lewis allowed just two base runners to reach after that and didn’t give up a hit.

“I kept asking the girls the score when it was 2-0,” said Hoelting. “I’ve always told them it doesn’t matter if it’s 2-0, 5-0 0r 7-0, you can always come back.”

North Scott finished with six hits. Anderson and Robertson had two each.

Oskaloosa, which won the 4A title in 2016, will play in a consolation game today against Dallas Center-Grimes at 1 p.m. on the Dodger Field.

NORTH SCOTT 3,

OSKALOOSA 2 (8 innings)

Oskaloosa 200 000 00 — 2 4 2

North Scott 000 002 01 — 3 6 0

LOB–Oskaloosa 3, North Scott 5; 2B–Abby Braundmeier, Rachel Anderson, Taylor Robertson, Abby Moller. SACF: Sam Lee; SACB–Ashley Kindley, Taylor Robertson, Brooke Kilburg. SB–Taylor.