The Lady Tigers of West Liberty-Salem were able to scratch across two runs including the game winner in the bottom of the seventh inning beating Madeira 2-1 in the Regional Semi-Final Thursday afternoon at Wright State University.

Sami Konkle had the game winning hit for the Tigers with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.

(Listen to game clips and postgame interviews in this story.) 

Both starting pitchers were dominating on the mound as Madeira's Sarah Hammitt and WLS's Emily Kauffman breezed through the first three innings.

It was Madeira who threatened in the top of the fourth with runners on 1st & 3rd and one out, but Kauffman struck out the next batter and then got a ground out to end the inning.

More trouble came in the fifth when Madeira put runners on 2nd & 3rd with one out and Kauffman again pitched out of the jam.

The Amazons had to feel the sixth inning was their time as they loaded the bases on three singles against Kauffman, but with two outs the next batter grounded out to first base to end the inning.

Hear Kauffman pitch out of the jam 

Then in the bottom of the sixth the Tigers led off the inning with a Abby Ledford double to left field that bounced off the wall.  Ledford advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored on Shae Blake's RBI single.

With a 1-0 lead and three outs away from the Regional Final it looked like WLS had things in control.  But Madeira would not go away quietly.  They led off the inning with a single to right.  Then Madeira would get runners on 2nd and 3rd with two outs and their leading hitter Sarah Hammitt coming to the plate.  With 1st base open coach Detwiler elected to have Kauffman intentionally walk Hammitt with a hitter on deck 0-3 with three strike outs.  However Hammitt had other plans.  With the count 3-0 Kauffman's next pitch was not far enough outside and Hammitt reached the bat over the plate and put it in play in the hole between shortstop and third.  The shortstop made the play, but the throw to first was not in time and Hammitt tied the game 1-1.  The next batter struck out to end the top of the seventh.

West Liberty-Salem started the bottom of the seventh with two quick outs.  Then Mayse stepped to the plate and ripped a double down the left field line.  A pinch runner was sent in to second base and the #9 hitter Sami Konkle stepped to the plate.  Konkle took a Hammitt pitch and hit a sharp ground ball just out of the reach of the 1st baseman and as the ball rolled in to right field the pinch runner (Detwiler) rounded third and scored without a throw to homeplate sending the Tigers to the Regional Final Saturday afternoon.

Listen to Konkle's game winner 

Emily Kauffman finished the game with 10 strikeouts and allowed her first run of the tournament.

Konkle was 2 for 3 with the game winning hit.

Listen to Konkle talk about her big moment.

Hear the postgame interview with Chad Wilkinson and head coach Lanay Detwiler. 

West Liberty-Salem will now play North Union in the Regional Final Saturday afternoon at 12:00 from Wright State on 1390 WBLL.