It was the kind of ending every athlete dreams of, even the ones youi think are most capable of it. And Lauren Haeger is capable.

It is known, perhaps trademarked now, as the Red Mountain Way. In softball that means Red Mountain had to fight its way back through the 5A-I state tournament loser\\\'s bracket for the chance to play for the championship. For the fourth time in six years of the double-elimination format, Red Mountain won twice on semifinal Wednesday to advance to winner-take-all Friday.

Pitcher gives up two hits and strikes out 14 in 9-1 win over Pinnacle. Deer Valley meets Ironwood Ridge on Friday.

Red Mountain had no trouble disposing of Mountain Ridge, by scoring 10 runs in the first two innings of its 5A-I elimination game. Gilbert High used a sixth-inning, two-out double to edge Salpointe.

Lions win the first state tournament game in school history 6-2 over Shadow Ridge. Will play Paradise Valley next.

Wolves defeat Cibola 8-6 in eight innings, will meet Sunnyside for the second time in Class 5A-II tournament.

Competition between Black Canyon, Western Sky regions held at Greenway High.

An elimination game. A tie game. Someone needed to step up. That someone Wednesday afternoon at Sandra Day O\\\' Connor High School was Westview catcher Sianna Gomez. Gomez picked off a Perry High runner at second base to help the Knights escape a sixth-inning jam and then drilled a hit that started a game-winning rally for her team in the seventh as No. 13 Westview nipped No. 8 Perry, 3-2, to stay alive in the 5A-II state softball tournament.

Senior pitcher gives up just one hit and strikes out 16, also accounts for the only run of the game with a homer.

Greenway High is the site of the competition between the Black Canyon and Desert Sky regions.