A region rivalry like Pinnacle and Sandra Day O’Connor brings some weight to any match-up, no matter the sport for these two North Valley schools.

Add a berth into the 6A softball final four on the line and the intensity goes to another level.

That was clear Friday night as sixth-seeded Pinnacle topped No. 10 Sandra Day O’Connor, 3-1, at Mesa High.

“It’s good because it’s such a good rivalry,” Pinnacle junior catcher Torynn Slaughter said. “The bleachers were packed, people we standing all around and back over (behind the outfield wall). We know it’s going to come down to a couple of plays.”

Throw in a transfer – Slaughter - from one school to the other playing a big part to the storyline, along with the fact that two of the players – one on each side – have been teammates since they were 10 years old, and this was an extreme case of rapid heartbeats and a standing room only game.

The familiarity led to a well-played, strategy-filled (three intentional walks) game won by the Pioneers (18-6-1), as they topped the Eagles (21-11) for the third time this year.

“I feel like at this point everybody is seasoned and we’ve played each other so many times,” Sandra Day O’Connor coach Melissa Hobson said of the loss to their Desert Valley Region foe. “It’s one of those things where it sucks to have to play a team in your region, but that was a great game.

“We left it on the field and they left it on the field. It was intense and exciting.”

The scoring started when Slaughter saw her 14th total pitch, over two at bats, on the outside portion of the plate and the left-handed catcher crushed it opposite field over the left-center field wall for a 2-0 lead.

“I was fouling off anything inside and looking to drive anything outside,” said Slaughter, who transferred from SDO to Pinnacle after her freshman year. “It felt good off that bat and I knew it was gone. ”

Pinnacle teammates await Torynn Slaughter after her two-run shot gave the Pioneers the lead. (Jason P. Skoda/AzPreps365)

The early lead let right-hander Kodi Crabtree (7-0, seven innings, three hits, eight strikeouts, three walks) get comfortable in the circle and cruise through five innings without giving up a hit and allowed just three baserunners.

“It’s hard facing them that many times,” Crabtree said. “I just had to be smart with my pitches throughout the line-up, but with a two-run lead my goal is to not let anyone get to second. We mixed it up and got some big outs.”

The Eagles, who will start consolation play on Tuesday, finally put some pressure in the sixth when leadoff hitter, and longtime teammate of Crabtree, Sydnee Williams reached on a bunt single (“She’s scary,” Crabtree said.) and Avery Gourlay connected for an RBI double with one out.

After Pinnacle intentionally walked catcher Charleigh Schuettler, Crabtree struck out Maci Jones and induced a groundball out by Rachel Davis to keep the lead.

“We need something good to happen there,” Hobson said. “One more hit makes it a different game.”

Pinnacle was able to push it back to a two-run advantage when Payton Crank was intentionally walked to start the bottom of the sixth inning and scored on a two-out line drive off the third baseman’s glove by Lilly Hamel for the 3-1 cushion.

“I’m not going to lie, I went in with no confidence,” said Hamel, who struck out and popped up a bunt attempt in her first two at-bats. “Then I was like I might as well make a difference. I saw it, swung and hoped for the best.”

SDO started the seventh with a base hit by No. 7 hitter Chloe Holbrook, but she was doubled up on a line drive to third baseman Paige Kroening before Crabtree finished it with a strikeout to push the Pioneers into the final four.

Not bad for a team that started out 3-3-1 and using non-pitchers in the circle early on while a sprained ankle kept their right-hander out of the circle.

That seems like ages ago for a team that has won 11 in a row – including wins over No. 11 Highland and No. 3 Hamilton – and 15 of 18.

“I knew once we got healthy things would come together,” Pinnacle coach Corey Mathis said. “(Our) lineup is good. They’ve learned to play for each other. We’re in a good position.”