Fifth-seeded Estrella Foothills and No. 4 Benson are back where they were this time last year. That's good for Estrella Foothills; not so good for Benson.

Estrella Foothills Dustie Durham tossed her second shutout in as many days and her heads up base-running led to the lone run on Saturday morning as the Lady Wolves edged hard-luck Benson, 1-0, in the Division III softball quarterfinals at the Rose Mofford Softball Complex.

Estrella Foothills improve to 31-2 on the season and is back in the D-III semis for the second year in a row. Benson finished up 2013 with a 24-5 record and a D-III quarterfinal loss for the second successive year. Last year the Lady Bobcats lost to eventual state champ Bourgade Catholic, 3-0. Estrella Foothills and Benson each won state titles in 2011 (EFH the 3A crown, Benson the 2A title).

Estrella Foothills next has a date with No. 1 seed Empire on Friday May 10 at 5:30 p.m. at Rose Mofford. Empire survived by scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh to beat Show Low, 4-3. A three-run double with one out by Kelsey Smith was the decisive hit for Empire.

It certainly was Durham's day, as most usually are for the sophomore. Durham tossed a one-hitter and pitched to one batter over the minimum in subduing Benson. The only hit she allowed was a leadoff single in the fifth to cleanup hitter Haley Choate. Choate was the only runner to reach second for Benson, which had its only other baserunner picked off in the first. Durham pitched a five-inning, perfect game on Friday night in blanking Chinle, 11-0. In Saturday's game, Durham didn't walk a batter and struck out seven. She is 27-2 for the season.

Durham scored the game's only run in the second inning. She led off with a single -- one of only three hits Estrella Foothills collected against Benson junior Kendra Behr. Allison Montano followed with a sacrifice.When Durham looked at third and saw noone covering she continued on to third safely on the sacrifice. The next batter, Carley Parfitt, grounded out to third, but the extra 60 feet Durham gained allowed her to score on the out. Parfitt had a great at-bat, battling back from an 0-2 count and fouling off six pitches before slapping what proved to be the game-winning grounder.

"I feel like you have to be aggressive," Durham said of her baserunning. "When I saw noone there, I knew I could take third."

Estrella Foothills had chances to score in the third and fourth, but the gritty Behr denied the Lady Wolves. A one-out triple by Taylor Godfrey in the third went for naught and Behr escaped a first-and second jam with one out in the fourth getting bunt out and pop up. Behr, who was the losing pitcher in last year's quarterfinals to Bourgade ace Jackie Aguilar, did not strike out a batter and walked one. She got 13 ground outs.

Estrella Foothills and Benson met earlier this season in the semifinals of the Gracie Haught Classic in Payson in late March. Durham blanked Benson and Behr in that one, 4-0. Durham tossed a two-hitter that day.

"We always have tough  games with Benson," Estrella Foothills coach Rick Brungardt said. "We knew this would It was good we got a run early and to have the lead. They have a good program and are here for a reason." 

Benson coach Manny Ellsworth  credited Estrella Foothills for its heads up play. 

"We had one mix up," Ellsworth said. "They took advantage. That's what good teams do. When you get down to games like this you have to capitalize when you get the chance."