Ivie Lopez was relaxed for a couple of reasons. Phalicitee Thomas was hyped and still aglow about a half an hour after the biggest hit of her prep career.

Lopez finished off a brilliant four games of state tournament pitching for Superior by tossing a four-hit shutout of two-time defending champ San Manuel in the Panthers' 3-0 Division IV championship game victory Monday at ASU's Farrington Stadium. Thomas had the game's key hit -- a two-run homer in the sixth.

Superior (18-5), the No. 5 seed, rode the arm of Lopez against one of the top offenses in Division IV. The shutout was Lopez's third of the postseason -- she blanked Northland Prep and Veritas prior. She was touched for four runs in a 5-4 win in the quarters over Ray, but was truly outstanding in icing the run-happy Miners (23-7). San Manuel scored 37 runs in its first three tournament games. They scored 15 and 7 in two prior games with Superior during the season -- games the teams split.  The title was the second in school history for Superior (the first came in 2007). San Manuel was bidding for its 10th title in the sport.

"I was relaxed to start, but a little more when we got a run to start the game," Lopez said. "Having a run to fall back on before they batted gave me a boost."

Superior coach Martin Navarratte couldn't have been more pleased with his junior hurler. Recently her efforts have been more consistent and mostly superb.

"She took the sticks out of their hands today," Navarrette said. "Their No. 2-3-4 hitters couldn't get anything going. She did a great job against them.  ....The last four or five games we've been calling pitches for her. She seemed more relaxed, and in the tournament she's been right on it."

San Manuel's 2-3-4 hitters are Mireya Tamayo, Allysa Cuellar and Felicia Medina. The trio were a combined 1-for-10 in the game -- a third-inning single by Cuellar.

Superior scored in its first at-bat using a leadoff infield hit by Jalisa Murray and an RBI single by Ciera Navarrette. San Manuel pitcher Lyana Waddell, who was nearly the equal of Lopez in the circle, kept the score 1-0 through five. But with one out and a runner on in the sixth, Thomas homered for the second time this season. A line-drive that exited the park quickly and about two feet higher than the fence. Waddell allowed only six hits two to Murray and two to Thomas. Waddell fanned five and walked three. The hardest hit ball was the Thomas homer.

"This was my second home run this year," Thomas said. "The first one was at our home field against the Miami Vandals. That one was nice, but this one was way bigger."

San Manuel's best chance to scored came in the bottom of the sixth -- down 3-0. A single by Dionne Ruiz (two hits in the game), a walk to Waddell and a walk to Mariah McBride loaded the bases with two outs. Leadoff hitter Nicole Encinas lined an 0-1 pitcher sharply, but right at shortstop Gabby Salcido, who squeezed it tightly for the out.