For the past five years Winslow and Estrella Foothills have been a thorn in Empire's and Payson's side in Division III softball. Estrella Foothills and Winslow have won four of the last five titles and dispatched Empire and Payson along the way.

 But with Estrella Foothills and Winslow eliminated this year, Monday night was a chance for Empire or Payson to secure their first softball title.

The school with the shorter history -- Empire -- used a mix of of hits, errors, wild pitches and a passed ball to score six times in the third inning and top Payson, 6-3 to nab the title at ASU's Farrington Stadium. This was the fourth year in a row Payson reached the final four and second title-appearance in a row. Empire was playing in its first championship game after losing in the quarters three times and the semis once the past four years.

Empire, open less than a decade but competiitve in softball the last four years, unleashed a weird inning on Payson to keep the Longhorns from their first title. Empire sent 10 batters to the plate and collected six hits, plus help from two errors, two wild pitches and a passed ball. The Ravens  trailed 1-0 heading to that at-bat.

Noelle Kerr's RBI single tied the game at 1 and the first of two wild pitches by Payson pitcher Arissa Paulson gave Empire the lead for good. Jessica Perry and McKenzie Kirkland added RBI singles before a runner leaving base early was called out to end the inning. Paulson deserved much better. All six runs were unearned and half the hits in the inning were off the glove or  just out of reach of defenders. P:aulson tossed a complete game, fanning seven and walking only one. To Empire's credit in the inning, it  did put the bat on the ball. The only batter to fan in the inning reached base to start it on a passed-ball, strike-three. 

That rally took the starch out of Payson and energized Empire. Senior Brittany Woolridge scattered six hits and struck out eight in going the distance for Empire (30-5), which handed Payson (34-2) both its losses this season. The win was the 17th in a row for Empire and the loss snapped a 29-game game-winning streak for the Longhorns.

Payson pecked away with runs in the third and sixth to cut the lead to 6-3. The Longhorns had the tying run at the plate in Sadie Duncan with runners at second and third after scoring once in the sixth. Woolridge struck out Duncan for her biggest K of the day. Particularly since Payson's best hitter -- Arrisa Paulson -- was on deck. Paulson had already delivered two RBI doubles.

Empire's Tazia Hernandez had three hits -- two via bunts and the other an infield hit from the leadoff spot. Perry added two hits. Paulson's two doubes and two RBI led Payson and Duncan scored twice and reached base via hit, walk and hit by pitch.