A victory over Phoenix Xavier Prep was what the Phoenix Horizon girls softball team wanted in the two teams’ regular-season finale on Wednesday night (April 24).

A victory over Xavier was what Horizon needed, in order to gain a likely first-round bye on Saturday (April 27) in the Division I state tournament, opening instead in the second round on April 30.

It was particularly needed because Horizon had lost to Scottsdale Desert Mountain on Tuesday (April 23).

Sophomore pitcher Tamara “T’’ Statman, who struggled against Desert Mountain, came back with a two-hitter and 10 strikeouts against Xavier and drove in the first of two Horizon runs in the sixth inning with a single on the way to a 2-0 victory at Xavier.

Horizon also had defeated Xavier 2-0 in a game at Horizon on March 15.

The Huskies (26-4) entered Wednesday night’s game with the No. 8 spot in the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s power seedings. The top eight get first-round byes. They likely will have at least No. 8 and could step up to No. 7. Xavier finished the regular season at 22-4 and was No. 11 entering Wednesday’s play. The Gators likely will open state-tournament play on Saturday.

The official pairings will be announced Thursday (April 25) as part of a “bracket show’’ to be streamed live on AIA365.com. Softball will be announced between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m., baseball after that.

“You want to go into the bracket the highest you can be,’’ said Horizon first-year coach Lindsey Collins. “You don’t want to go in with two straight losses.’’

Collins and pitching coach Ashley Smuda, a former Horizon pitching star, talked to Statman after the Desert Mountain game, outlining a few things she needed to work on.

Statman came out against Xavier and looked like “the “T’ of old,’’ according to Collins. “She was hitting her spots. She was a lot cleaner. She was ahead in the count more.’’

Collins was pleased with Statman’s effort as well as her defense. But the team’s hitting didn’t measure up the way she would have liked, and she will have the Huskies not doing much else other than swinging the bats at practice on Thursday and Friday (April 26).

“We kind of hit a lull, and we need to pick that up, come out in the tournament consistent and strong,’’ Collins said.

Statman and Xavier freshman pitcher Karlee Johnson battled through five scoreless innings before Horizon got its two runs on three hits in the sixth. Statman drove in one run with a single and batterymate Margaret Stahm drove in the other with a sacrifice fly.

Xavier first baseman Lauren Johnson suffered an odd injury on the sacrifice fly that came with the bases loaded. She came over into the pitching circle to possibly cut off the throw from the outfield but apparently twisted an ankle while stepping on the pitching rubber.  After staying down for a few minutes, she was helped off the field and was moving around on crutches after the game.