Victory seemed to be in reach for the NIU softball team.

In the bottom of the seventh, with one out and the bases empty for Iowa, a win looked guaranteed. But fate handed NIU a 5-4 loss instead.

Pitcher Taryn Hagemann shut down the Hawkeyes (30-16) in the fifth and sixth innings, and looked to close out the win.

The sophomore battled against Stacy May, but lost as the senior doubled, giving Iowa hope.

Hagemann appeared to have control, as she had two strikes against center fielder Mindy Heidgerken and was preparing to go for the strikeout with a curveball pitch.

Heidgerken stuck her bat out at the outside pitch, but instead of hearing the umpire’s voice, the Huskies (15-19) heard the ring of a bat.

Instead of a strikeout, the Hawkeyes hit the ball over the head of Hagemann into “the one place that no one could get it.”

Shortstop Krista McPherson wouldn’t give up on the ball though.

“[The ball] literally wasn’t four inches away — it was in her glove,” Coach Donna Martin said. “If we could have held onto that it would have been an awesome play.”

The runner who was on second had taken off. The play would have turned into a game-winning double play.

Instead, runners were on third and first with one out. That’s when Iowa’s Emily Nichols became a hero.

Nichols roped a walk-off double against Hagemann to clear the bases, and put an end to the Huskies’ dream of winning.

Hagemann couldn’t help to think that Iowa hadn’t beat them on skill, but on luck.

“We definitely out-played them today,” the Rochelle native said. “It was by luck that they won.”