—Messenger photo by Britt Kudla LISBON celebrates after upsetting second-seed Wayne in a Class 1A state semifinal at Rogers Park on Wednesday. The Lions won 4-3. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

Even though its four-run lead had shrunk to one and the tying run stood on second base with no outs in the seventh inning yesterday afternoon, Lisbon was still Allgood.

As in Ryleigh Allgood.

The Lions’ crafty sophomore southpaw pitcher tied a Class 1A state tournament record with 15 strikeouts, including two in the final frame, to send fourth-ranked Lisbon into the championship game with a 4-3 victory over second-ranked Wayne at the Rogers Sports Complex.

Lisbon (37-8) will face top-ranked Newell-Fonda (37-4) for the title today at 5 p.m.

Allgood, who tossed a no-hitter in Lisbon’s quarterfinal win over 2020 state champion Clarksville on Monday, tied the single-game strikeout record held by Amber Logemann of Earlham since 2012. She fanned multiple hitters in six of the seven innings, including three in the second and fourth.

With her team down one run, Wayne lead-off hitter Sterling Berndt opened the bottom of the seventh with a double to left-center. Allgood responded by striking out Jaide Harvey and then got Mya Willey to pop up on the infield. Allgood then sent Lisbon to its first title game since 1996 by whiffing Emily Jones.

Wayne, which will take on Pride of Iowa Conference rival and fifth-ranked Southeast Warren (29-3) in today’s third-place game at 3:30, out-hit Lisbon 7-3. Berndt cranked a solo home run to right-center in the third to get the Falcons on the board and Willey doubled in the sixth to ignite a two-run frame. Izzie Moore went 2 for 3 with an RBI single in the sixth.

Lisbon had trouble catching up to Berndt, another lefty who worked in the circle for Wayne. But the Lions manufactured two runs on two infield singles by Kali Nelson and Paige Roos in the second inning and then took advantage of three Falcon errors in the third to plate two more for a 4-0 lead.

Berndt retired 11 consecutive batters in the middle innings before Peyton Robinson ended the stretch with a two-out single to right in the seventh, Lisbon’s only base hit that reached the grass.

Robinson and Taylor Techau both had one RBI for Lisbon.

Lisbon 4, Wayne 3

Lisbon 022 000 0 — 4 3 1

Wayne 001 002 0 — 3 7 3

Ryleigh Allgood and Taylor Techau. Sterling Berndt and Camryn Jacobsen. W — Allgood. L — Berndt. Multiple hits — Wayne: Berndt, Izzie Moore. 2B — Wayne: Berndt, Mya Willey. HR — Wayne: Berndt. RBI — Lisbon: Techau, Peyton Robinson; Wayne: Berndt, Moore.