Andrew Edwards pumped his fists and yelled out when he crossed home plate to give Desert Christian a 9-6 lead in the bottom of the sixth. It was a rare display of emotion by the senior pitcher but highly understandable given the circumstances.

Edwards (11-0) collected 13 strikeouts to help the Eagles (31-1) defeat Kearny Ray 13-6 in the Division III state championship game Saturday night but he was pulled after the Bearcats (22-9-1) almost erased an 8-0 deficit with a six-run outburst in the top of the sixth.

"I was letting off steam, anger, happiness, joy and sadness," Edwards explained. "It was very, very special to win this one."

Edwards took a no-hitter into the sixth and appeared to be on cruise control but a leadoff walk to Derek Pacheco was followed by a hit batter and then Seth Harmon put down a perfect bunt to load the bases.

Edwards induced a groundball to set up a potential double play but the relay to first base got away and the Bearcats scored two runs and Ray found new life.

Jordan Pace hit a triple and Cole Yocum would add a double later in the inning. Zach Malis took the mound but Douglas McPeak delivered on a double to plate two more runs.

When it was over, a potential run-rule had somehow turned into a game.

"We started the season out with a record of 1-6-1 but we went on to win 21 of our last 24 games until today," explained head coach Rene Pacheco. "You saw a little of that fight today."

The Bearcats won their section and earned a two-seed but Ray came in knowing it would be difficult stop Desert Christian's attempt to win three state championships in a row. 

"Desert Christian is a very good team," Pacheco added. "But we gave them a game."

McPeak (8-4) held Desert Christian hitless in the first two innings but the Eagles sent nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the third to come away with five runs on three hits, a walk and a couple of errors.

Malis connected on a ground-rule double befitting the expanse of Maryvale Baseball Park. Maryvale is the training home of the Milwaukee Brewers and is located on the west side of Phoenix.

Malis would display more power in the fourth with a two-out triple and his two hits would play an important role in the bottom of the fifth when Desert Christian came within one hit of ending the game early.

The Eagles scored two runs to make the score 7-0 with two outs and Malis came up to bat with the bases loaded.  In a move typically reserved for former San Francisco Giant Barry Bonds, Malis was given nothing to hit and he was walked with the bases loaded.

Destry Yocum (7-2) had replaced McPeak in the third and he got out of the jam in the fifth to give the Bearcats another shot and they cashed in with six runs. But it wasn't enough.

"They are confident they will always come back and battle through adversity," said Desert Christian head coach Grant Hopkins. "They responded instead of giving in."

The Ray faithful remained on their feet from the first pitch and cheered loudly after each pitch, at bat or play. They gave Edwards a standing ovation and gave the Bearcats all the electricity they needed to mount the comeback but Desert Christian responded with five more runs in the bottom of the sixth to put the game away for good.

"Desert Christian is my alma mater and these boys are like my sons," Hopkins added. "We won our first championship for the school and our second for Ryan Hanson but I told them to win this one for themselves and for Tucson. Tucson needs this."

Hanson was an assistant coach on the team and he passed away last April, right before the state playoffs. His father Mike Hanson brought him along to help Hopkins coach three years ago and Hopkins gives the father and son team credit for changing the culture at Desert Christian.

Desert Christian went 26-4 in 2013 and 29-2 when they dedicated the championship run to Ryan Hanson last year. Free from dedications to their school and from the heartbreak of a lost coach, the Eagles have posted and incredible 31-1 record this spring.

The Eagles have not lost to a team from Arizona since Apr. 22, 2013 and have remained undefeated in their division since Feb. 27 of that year. As for teams from Southern Arizona with three state championships in a row, Willcox won in 1999, 2000 and 2001 and St. David won three from 2000 to 2002.

Tucson High was the last team from the Tucson area to complete the task but you would have to go all the way back to 1954 to 1956.

Ray won a state title in 1967, 1979 and 1981 under Gerry Peters and the school took second in 1970 and 1995. 

As the fan support showed, the whole town of about 2,000 people must have made the trip to Phoenix to watch their Bearcats play.

"One of our assistant coaches closed his restaurant so everyone could make the game," Pacheco added. "Our fans show a lot of spirit and we are a small community. Seven of our players have one parent who graduated from Ray and the other seven have both parents from the school. All four of our coaches graduated from there also."

Pacheco's son Derek has the team's highest batting average (.483) but he also shines where it matters most. He is top in his class and will attend NAU on an academic scholarship to study mechanical engineering.

"He knows this is his last game and he's okay with that," Pacheco said. "He's done everything I have asked him to do on the field and in the classroom. I am very proud."