Chaparral's softball team has spent the last four games picking off higher seeds in pursuit of the Division I state championship. Its aim continued to be lethal on Friday night.

Led by by junior Dallas McBride's pitching and her pair of two-run homers, the Firebirds earned a spot in the title game with a 9-3 victory over Mesa Mountain View at Rose Mofford Softball Complex.

Chaparral (28-11) gets a shot at avenging its only tournament loss on Monday May 13 at 7:45 p.m. at ASU's Farrington Stadium against No. 6 Red Mountain (32-5) in the final. Red Mountain has won the last three bigf-school titles. Mountain View (27-8), which hadn't lost in the tournament until Wednesday, was knocked off for the second time in three days ending its season. The Lady Toros could not solve McBride until late in the game.

Chaparral, the No. 14 seed, opened the tournament knocking off No. 19 Buena, 5-1. The Lady Firebirds next eliminated No. 3 Basha, then dropped to the losers' bracket after a 5-1 loss to No. 6 Red Mountain. In the past 10 days Chaparral has stayed alive by defeating No. 2 Cienega, No. 1 Mountain Ridge, No. 3 Horizon andon Friday  No. 5 Mountain View.

A game that figured to be pitchers' duel between McBride and Mountain View's four-year ace Val Kaff, really never materialized. Kaff had trouble getting a lot of first-pitch strikes as is her MO. Combine that with Chaparral's patience and good at-bats and Kaff had a pitch count in the mid-90s after three innings as well as a 3-0 deficit.

Chaparral got a run in the first off Kaff on two walks and an RBI single by Ashtyn Coleman. A single and walk in the second plus a passed ball put runners at second and third with two out. Kendra Coleman looped a two-run single to right that the Lady Toros Maria Serrano couldn't get to in time.

"We've done a great job in the state tournament of being patient and waiting for our pitch," Chaparral coach Stefanie Ewing said. "They've bought in." 

After four innings Kaff had issued seven walks and given up eight hits. She had full counts on 15 of the first 25 batters.

McBride and Alexa Thorell had three hits each and Alana Anderson and Natalie Cravens had two apiece. Anderson scored three times in the leadoff spot for the Lady Firebirds adding to walks to her evening's output.

McBride, meanwhlile, breezed through the first three innings, allowing only an infield hit to Jamie Wickerman in the third. The left-handed pitching and hitting McBride helped out at bat in the fourth as Chaparral widened its lead to 5-0 on the first of her two home runs to left-center and center. McBride added her second homer for insurance in the seventh off Lady Toros reliever Sia Iongi. McBride finished  the game in the circle, allowing five hits, three walks, hit three batters and struck out 10.

"Dallas is a fighter," Ewing said. "Sometimes she makes it crazy, but she finds a way to get it done."

Chaparral lost focus a bit in the final two innings as well as encountering some fight from the Lady Toros. Sid Ryan ended McBride's shuout bid with a solo homer in the sixth. Mountain View scored three runs on four hits in the sixth to pull within 7-3. Wickerman's second hit off McBride closed out the rally.

Kaff, who reached base with a single in the sixth, was pulled from the game in the seventh after jamming her shoulder diving back to first. She tried to pitch in the seventn, but coach Joe Goodman decided not to take any chances and removed her.

"I have to applaud how much fight Val Kaff has," Ewing said. "She just refused to come out."

Kaff closed a brilliant career allowing 11 hits and striking out eight.

"We ran in to a buzz saw," Goodman said. "That team is hot." 

Several players, including Kaff, were shaken up at various times during the game that took nearly 2 1/2 hours to complete. Ashtyn Coleman left the game in the sixth after making a diving catch in right-center. Shetweaked her right knee and left with a what was diagnosed as a ligament strain. Her availability for the title game is questionable.