Pusch Ridge had two-time defending state softball champion San Manuel on the ropes twice in the late innings Friday night. And twice San Manuel's Felicia Medina had a rope for Pusch Ridge.

Medina ripped a long three-run, walkoff homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give No. 3 seed San Manuel a 12-11 victory over Pusch Ridge in a Division IV quarterfinal game at Rose Mofford Sports Complex.

Pusch Ridge, who was denied a win in the last of the seventh thanks to Medina, put San Manuel in the pressure cooker again in the top of the ninth. The Lions batted around and scored three times off Lyana Waddell to move ahead, 11-8. Kailey Rohne, Emma Stambaugh and Claire Van Stelle collected teh RBI in the rally.

Medina, a senior who has swung a power-bat all season with 27 extra-base hits, capped a four-run rally in the ninth with her round-tripper to deny No. 6 Pusch Ridge the upset. The homer was Medina's seventh of the year. Medina collected five RBI in her final two at-bats. She denied Pusch Ridge an 8-6 win in the bottom of the seventh by lining a two-run, tying single to right.

Pusch Ridge, which trailed early 3-1 in the back-and-forth affair, tied the game at 6 in the fourth inning. They Lady Lions took the lead and were an out away from winning the game via their own power-hitter's prowess -- Maddie Dowdle. Dowdle blasted her 10th homer of the season in the top of the fifth with a runner aboard for the 8-6 lead.

San Manuel advances to Saturday's semifinals (May 9) at 10 a.m. at Rose Mofford against No. 2 seed Arizona Lutheran. The other semifinal, also at 10 a.m., pits top-seed Veritas Prep against No. 5 Superior. Veritas got another pitching gem from Lainey Stephenson in defeating Hayden, 4-0.

ARIZONA LUTHERAN 8, DESERT CHRISTIAN 5: Alliyah Ortega's two-run single highlighted a four-run rally in the third inning that paced the Lady Coyotes past the Lady Eagles at Rose Mofford. Haley Pennell and Danielle Marquez had two hits each for Arizona Lutheran. Jordan McClellan allowed one run throught the first six innings. Desert Christian put up four runs in the seventh and had the tying run in the on-deck circle when McClellan got the final out. Taylor Radtke and two hits and scored twice for Desert Christian and teammate Julia Han had two RBI.

SUPERIOR 5, RAY 4: No. 5 Superior staved off a final-inning rally to edge No. 4 Ray in a quartefinal game at Rose Mofford. Superior was limited to three hits, but capitalized on several of Ray's six errors. Superior scored an unearned run in each of the second, fourth and six innings to build a 3-1 lead. Alicia Arriola stroked a two-run double in the top of the seventh for insurance. Those runs were needed. Ray tallied three times in the bottom of the seventh and had the tying and winning runs on base when the final out was recorded. Ema Alvarado drove in two runs for Ray and teammate Savannah Willis had two hits and an RBI.