Marissa Schuld didn't start off well Friday, but she sure finished with a flurry.

Pinnacle's sophomore pitcher blasted a two-run, game tying homer in the top of the seventh and broke the tie she created with a two-run single in the eighth as the Pioneers eliminated top-seed Desert Vista, 6-3, in eight innings in a thrilling title-game qualifier at Rose Mofford Softball Complex.

Pinnacle (30-6) advances to its first-ever softball title game on Monday (May 16) against No. 5 Hamilton at 8 p.m. at ASU's Farrington Stadium. Desert Vista (30-6) saw its season end with a jolt as it was an out away from getting to the title game before Schuld came through with one of her many heroics on the evening.

Schuld's impressive numbers in this one? At the plate she was 2-for-5 with four RBI. Those hits came in her final two at-bats. In the circle she returned from a month-long hiatus just this week while resting her pitching arm due to some inflammation, On Friday she allowed five hits, walked two and struck out 11. She improved to 11-3 after absorbing an extra-inning loss to Hamilton the night before, 6-4. Schuld gave up  the first-inning homer to  Desert Vista's Jill Navarro. After that she resembled the pitcher that was nearly unbeatable from the season opener in late February to the first week of April.

Desert Vista tried everything it could in the late going to blunt Pinnacle's comeback. Coach Felipe Becerra lifted starting pitcher Brooke Hughes after five innings after she gave up a leadoff double in the sixth to Jessica Mabrey. Mara Kemmer, who worked as an effective tandem with Hughes all season, came on to try to close it out. Kemmer gave up an RBI single to Kori Gahn, but got out of the sixth with a 3-1 lead.

Kemmer fanned the first batter in the seventh, then allowed a hit and long fly out. Up came Schuld who belted 1-0 pitch over the fence in left. Hughes then re-enterd the circle and walked three successive hitters. Out she came and back was Kemmer, who got a pop up to end the rally.

Kemmer was still in to start the eighth and fanned the first hitter then gave up back-to-back singles and a walk to load the bases. Hughes was now out of the game for good, so Kemmer tried her luck again with Schuld. Schuld singled to center bringing in the go-ahead runs. Mabrey plated another with a single.

Desert Vista got a two-out hit in the eighth, but Schuld recorded her 11th K -- Navarro -- to finish the game.

Desert Vista's loss was the third tough defeat in sports this week for the Ahwatukee school. The girls track team lost to Chandler for the team title in the final event of the meet (1,600 relay last Saturday). Boys volleyball was two-points away from sweeping Perry on Thursday night and ended up losing the title-qualifying match to the Pumas, 3-2. And softball -- you know the story now.