Every team advancing to Division I softball's Elite Eight did so with a well-pitched game. They'll need four or more such efforts to be crowned champion come May 16.

Desert Vista, Pinnacle, Desert Ridge, Sandra Day O'Connor, Hamilton, Campo Verde, Perry and Chandler gave up three runs or less in second-round wins. Most have two pitchers who can get the job done. Those that don't believe one can suffice.

Here's a brief look at those teams as double elimination play begins Thursday (May 5):

#1 Desert Vista (27-4): The Thunder wield two pitchers capable of shutting down the opposition in seniors Brooke Hughes and Mara Kemmer. They've been steady all season and boast the Desert Mountain Invitational title in mid-March -- a 2-1 win over Pinnacle. Hughes (12-3, 1.60 ERA) supplied the pitching to get Desert Vista to the final eight, beating Horizon, 2-1. Kemmer(13-1, 1.06 ERA)  supplied the winning hit, a two-run triple. Desert Vista has scored more runs than any among the final eight and have blasted 38 home runs. Ten players have two or more. The Thunder have played 12 games against the other seven participants. They are 9-3 in those games. Their last two losses are to Campo Verde (4-3) and SDO (9-1). First-round opponent : Perry. Played twice this year with Desert Vista winning 10-0 and 5-0.

#2 Pinnacle (27-5): The Pioneers have dominated in the circle with CC Cook and Marissa Schuld. For the last month it's been essentially a solo act with Cook doing the bulk of the pitching while Schuld has played, but not pitched. Pinnacle has given up just 54 runs this season and their duo have combined for  336 strikeouts in 198 innings. Cook is 17-3 and Schuld 10-2. Schuld last pitched (a shutout) on April 8. She is batting .392 and leads the team in homers (4) and RBI (28). Karlee Johnson, Jessica Mabrey and Jackie Kelley are a few ticks above .400 batting for the year. First round opponent: Campo Verde. Played once with Pinnacle winning 6-3. 

#3 Desert Ridge (25-8): The Jaguars stayed among the top 10 teams in the power rankings all year, but made a slight charge late to earn the No. 3 seed. They've relied on two pitchers -- senior Bailey Klitzke and freshman Shaylee Ackerman. Klitzke has become the go-to down the stretch. She beat Xavier in a game that clinched the section title for the Jags and delivered a two-hitter and fanned 14 to beat Centennial in the second round. She also drove in the winning run in a 2-1 triumph. Ackerman has given way to Klitzke in the circle of late, but has been an offensive force Ackerman is batting .473 with 13 HR and 48 RBI. Kltizke is at .484 with 38 RBi. Leadoff hitter Leah Molina tops the squad at .505. First-roud opponent: Chandler. Teams have not played this season.  

#4 Sandra Day O'Connor (26-9): The defending champion Eagles weren't the talk of the division at midseason, but have gradually kept their name in the conversation for the title. They have the rest of the field's attention. Coach Melissa Hobson has seen her team excel down the stretch.They've won 10 games in a row and 12 of their last 13. Their marquee win was two weeks ago in a 9-1 thumping of Desert Vista. She again has employed three capable pitchers in Stevie McLemore, Emma Vesely and Brooke Brown. None are overpowering, but get the job done. One of the best players in the division is junior Hayley Busby, hitting .550 with 12 HR and 61 RBI. Savana Avila is a table-setter (.542) and sophomore  Grace Lyons checks in at .478. First-round opponent: Hamilton. Teams have not played this season.

#5 Hamilton (26-7): The Huskies may be the best offensive team of the eight top to bottom. The lowest average of their 1-9 lineup is.355. Taylor Gindlesperger leads in batting at .511, 33 RBI, followed by Ali Ashner (.495), Karlee Arnold (.470, 8 HR) and Bella Loomis (.429). Hamilton has used four pitchers extensively, but  last couple weeks it's been primarily sophomores Madison Seigworth and Abby Andersen. Seigworth is 9-3 and Andersen 5-1. Chey Noli (8-2) was the ace early on but is out and hasn't pitched in six weeks. Natalie Montgomery is 5-0. All hover between 2.05 and 2.55 in ERA.

#7 Campo Verde (22-9): The Coyotes were thrust in the D-I fray this season and have held their own and thensome. They depend on sophomore pitcher Myka Sutherlin, who warmed up for elite eight play with a five-hit shutout of Boulder Creek in the second rounnd. Sutherlin is 18-5 with a 2.39 ERA. In reserve if need be is junior Tara Love. Haley Johnston, Brenna Scudellari and Sutherlin power the offense. Johnston is hitting .439 with 9 HR and 31 RBI, Scudellari (.450, 23 RBI) and Sutherlin (.382, 5 HR, 31 RBI).

#9 Perry (22-12): The Pumas bring a freshman and sophomore to the circle and they've pretty much shared the load. Freshman Saige Stutz shut down Red Mountain, 4-1, in the second round and sophomore Kenadee Rausch toppled Mountain View, 4-2, in the first round. Much of the power and run production revolves around Piper Lujan (.431, 31 RBI), Hannah Johnson (.410, 33 RBI) and Tatum Johnson (.336, 23 RBI). They've combined for 10 of the team's 13 home runs.

#11 Chandler (19-12): The Wolves have gone where no other Wolves team has gone before -- they've reached the elite eight for the first time in 11 years with that format in play at state. First-year coach Jana Rae Slayton touts defense to back the often capable pitching of junior Gabby Baker. That played out in Chandler's 3-1 win over Xavier in the second round. Baker is 15-7 with an ERA around 3.25. Sydney Behrens, Rachel Brown, Courtney Schollmeyer and Mona Noriega are Chandler's top offensive players. Chandler is 0-6 against the elitle eight pool of teams, but the win over Xavier proves they're not to be taken lightly.