PHOENIX - It only took six innings for No. 1 seed Benson to take home the Class 2A state softball championship against No. 2 Pusch Ridge Christian on Saturday at the Rose Mofford Sports Complex.
The 10-run rule was enforced when Benson senior Kayla Haro scored on a four-base error to bring the final score to 12-2.
"We just told the girls to go up and do what you got to do," Benson coach Manny Ellsworth said. "If it's mercy, it's mercy. If it's one run, it's one run."
Benson led off the first inning with a two-run double from Haro, who also had six strikeouts as a pitcher in the game.
"It's a good way to go out," Haro said.
Benson had a four-run fourth inning beginning with a single by Kim Brogan, scoring Haro. Kourtney Brogan hit an RBI triple and scored on an error in the same play. Kady East made it home just before the last out of the fourth inning, bringing the score to 6-0.
"This is what we worked for from Day 1," Ellsworth said. "Our goal was to be in this championship game."
In the bottom of the fifth, Steph Ramirez scored on another double from Haro, making it 7-0 Benson.
"There was a lot of hard work this year," Ellsworth said. "This is something we've set our goal for."
Pusch Ridge got on the scoreboard in the sixth inning with a two-run home run by Kaycee Thompson to right-center field, allowing Sarah Majors to score.
The game ended with a bang in the sixth with Benson scoring five runs, starting with an RBI single from Kourtney Brogan, who later scored on a double by Shauna Judd. Ramirez had an RBI single, scoring Judd before Haro's final play.
"I can't believe it," Kourtney Brogan said. "We did it, we finally did it."
BENSON 12
PUSCH RIDGE 2
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