Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Elyse Maxwell of Interstate 35 turns a double play against Libson during the 2A quarterfinals on Tuesday at Rogers Park.

The Interstate 35 softball team is calm, confident and — most importantly — having fun.

Despite their relative inexperience on the big stage, the Roadrunners had the look of seasoned veterans in a Class 2A state quarterfinal against tournament veteran Lisbon on Tuesday afternoon at Rogers Park.

I-35 countered a late Lions rally with one of their own, plating four runs in the top of the seventh inning to pull away for a 9-5 victory on Iowa Central Field.

Clutch two-run doubles by senior Katie Murphy and sophomore Cora Keller were the difference for the fifth-seeded Roadrunners (26-12 overall), who kept their heads level all year despite taking on a brutal regular-season schedule.

That was a microcosm of Tuesday’s circumstances. I-35 was six outs away from a relatively comfortable 5-1 win when Lisbon (34-8) came storming back with four runs. The Lions had the look of a squad used to the bright lights and pressures associated with being in Fort Dodge.

The Roadrunners didn’t flinch, though, going right back to work and sealing the impressive win with their seventh-inning heroics.

“We’ve put ourselves in a lot of uncomfortable situations this season against some really good (opponents) to be ready for moments like this,” I-35 head coach Angela Kessler said. “Of course there were some nerves early, but we treated this like just another game and used our excitement to our advantage.

“We feel like we have nothing to lose. There’s a belief that over the course (of seven innings), no one is able to keep our offense in check. Hitting is contagious; we tell the girls that all the time. And we have a strong lineup (top to bottom).”

The first big Roadrunner breakthrough came off the bat of junior Trinity Darst, who drilled a three-run home run to plate eighth-grader Elyse Maxwell and junior Gracie Kirk in the top of the third inning. A 1-0 deficit was suddenly a 3-1 I-35 advantage.

The Roadrunners extended their lead with two more runs in the fourth, and were still in control when the Lions — state qualifiers in each of the last six seasons — began to mount a comeback.

An RBI double by senior Ryleigh Allgood and a two-run single from junior Addi Petersen highlighted the rally, which knotted the score at 5.

I-35 didn’t panic, countering Lisbon’s efforts with one final knockout punch in the seventh.

“This was such a big team win. Everyone contributed,” Darst said. “None of us have been here before (the Roadrunners’ last state appearance was six years ago), so we were just hyped up and excited to have the opportunity to play.

“We were pumped up and ready to go.”

Murphy admitted being at Rogers Park and watching quarterfinal contests on Monday made a difference in the mentality of the squad.

“It helped us get used to the atmosphere,” Murphy said. “We were ready. We’ve seen a lot of really good (opponents) all year (I-35 faced 12 ranked teams), so we just had to be calm and confident, as our coaches are always preaching to us.”

The Lions, who carried a 10-game winning streak into Fort Dodge, got the first two runners on base in a last-gasp seventh-inning effort, but Murphy (17-10) slammed the door shut from the pitcher’s circle.

“We weren’t going to give up,” said Lisbon senior Ella Clark. “We kept battling and clawed our way back. We were hoping to do it again (as a last gasp in the bottom of the seventh).”

Keller was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Kirk, Kadence Alery and Elyse Maxwell added two hits each.

I-35, which has now won 17 of its last 19 overall, will take on top-seeded Iowa City Regina (28-8) in a 2A semifinal on Wednesday at 3:30 back on Iowa Central Field. The Lions square off with Northeast (22-12) at 11:30 Wednesday on Veterans Field at Rogers Park in a consolation matchup.

INTERSTATE 35 9, LISBON 5

I-35 003 200 4 — 9 12 1

Lisbon 010 004 0 — 5 9 2

WP–Katie Murphy (7 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 2 K); LP–Ryleigh Allgood (7 IP, 12 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 1 BB, 3 K). 2B–I-35: Gracie Kirk 2, Katie Murphy, Cora Keller, Josie McCuddin; L: Ryleigh Allgood, Addie Clark. 3B–L: Payton Robinson. HR–L: Trinity Darst. SB–I-35: Jona Janssen, Cora Keller.