The Columbia (Lake City) softball team was down to its final two outs of the season in Thursday’s FHSAA Class 4A state semifinal at Boombah-Soldiers Creek Park in Longwood.

Somehow, they found a way.

The No. 1 seed Tigers trailed No. 4 seed Seminole, 5-3, in the bottom of the seventh inning when hitting became contagious. They had five hits in their final at-bat and scored three runs in a 6-5 win.

Columbia (28-3) will play No. 2 seed Lake Wales, which defeated No. 3 seed Key West, 6-5, in the other semifinal contest, for the 4A state title at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

“I knew we had it in us,” said Columbia coach Joe Saucier. “I knew if we could make some adjustments, we had to make some adjustments.”

The Tigers scored in the first inning on a fielder’s choice by senior catcher Emily Delgado, scoring senior Anna Dansby, who had singled with one out.

But two costly errors by the Tigers, and a pair of hits by Seminole helped the War Hawks (19-9) take a 3-1 lead in the top of the third inning.

Seminole added another run on an error in the fourth inning for a 4-1 lead.

After four innings, Columbia almost had as many errors (three) as they had hits (four).

The Tigers did get within a run at 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly and an RBI by Delgado and an RBI single by freshman Ryleigh Stone.

The War Hawks got a big insurance run in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by Natalia Gipson for a 5-3 lead.

Columbia went quietly in the bottom of the sixth, but the Tigers broke through in their final at-bat.

With one out and the bases empty, junior third baseman Josie Raulerson singled to center field and Delgado hit a deep fly ball to center field that appeared to be on its way out.

It stayed in the park, but it went over the center fielder’s head for a double, scoring pinch runner Brooklynn White.

That made it 5-4.

After Stone reached on a fielder’s choice, it was all up to the bottom of the order.

The No. 7-9 hitters were a combined 1-for-9 entering the inning.

However, senior Ava Christie singled to right field to tie the game, scoring Delgado.

Junior right fielder Marlee Hunt singled to center field to load the bases, followed by a walk-off single to center field by senior left fielder Addy Sherman, scoring Stone with the winning run.

“Speechless, shocked, grateful, I’m just so grateful,” said Sherman, who also had a walk-off hit against Branford this season. “Coach Joe called timeout and said, ‘we need a deep ground ball, deep fly ball, go and be that clutch player we know you can be. And when I hit that…it felt like just all the stress was lifted off the shoulders. I’m just so glad I was able to do that for my team and just get us to the state championship.”

It will be the Tigers’ first appearance in the state championship game since they won their lone title in 2013.

“We’ve got to stay level,” Saucier said. “I think we were a little bit emotional today coming in, all these people, they’re rooting for other teams, it’s hot, we hadn’t played in this heat…this wasn’t our normal routine, so I think to be able to get the win and come off, I think we’ll be a much better focused team come Saturday morning.”