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Through three games in the 4A Conference softball state tournament, the Coconino Panthers certainly have adopted a flair for the dramatic.

After pitcher Kaitlyn Tso set the tone early on for Coconino, throwing a perfect game through three innings, the senior sent the top-seeded Panthers to the state semifinals with a two-out, walk-off double in the eighth inning to beat the No. 5-seeded Sahuarita Mustangs on Saturday afternoon at Coconino High School.

The win is the second straight walk-off finish for Coconino, having beaten the No. 9 Eastmark Firebirds in eight innings on Wednesday after opening the playoffs with a 3-0 victory against the No. 16 Deer Valley Skyhawks, where they scored all three runs in the bottom of the sixth.

“These girls just keep fighting, and it’s awesome to see. I’m super proud of them,� Panthers manager Kimberly Dennis said about Saturday's victory. “Defensively, they challenged us in the later innings, and we just remained calm. It’s not over until it’s over, and they continue to fight until the end.�

Tso’s game-winning double came just minutes after Sahuarita senior Brenna Figueroa sent a 1-2 pitch well over the right field fence to break the 1-1 tie with one out in the top of the eighth.

Mustangs junior Jayd Villa opened the bottom of the eighth by retiring a pair of Panthers on just three pitches, bringing to the plate Panthers senior Sophie Monsman, who was looking to help keep Coconino out of the elimination side of the bracket.

Facing a 2-2 count with two outs in the inning, Monsman battled at the plate to draw a walk to keep the game alive. Senior Destiny Villas followed with a walk of her own, bringing Tso to the plate with the game-winning run on first base.

“It’s the discipline at the plate that they have, and at the same time it’s the love they have for the game. Sophie and Destiny, when it comes to close games like this, we’ve learned how to stay relaxed and not let everything get to your head,� Tso said.

Once again down to the final strike, Tso smashed a 2-2 pitch to the gap with Monsman scoring easily and Villas beating the throw to the plate for the win.

“That’s a huge hit, and her at-bat prior wasn’t one of her strongest. She’s a strong hitter, she’s very disciplined on both sides of the ball,� Dennis said. “Huge kudos for that -- to be able to come back after she struggled a little bit.�

While both teams came up with crucial hits in the lone extra inning, runs were hard to come by through the first seven frames as Tso kept Sahuarita’s offense off the base paths in five of the seven innings.

Striking out the side in the first and third, Tso faced the minimum through three innings before the Mustangs opened the fourth with a leadoff double that was eventually stranded at third.

Coconino had taken its 1-0 lead in the second, with Tso starting the inning off with a single. Senior Aryanna Dominguez added a single of her own to put runners at first and second, and both runners were eventually moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Katelynn Yazzie. Senior Mia Pozar put the Panthers on the board with a single of her own to left field, scoring courtesy runner Norah Kennelly.

While Coconino broke through in the second inning, it missed out on a few additional opportunities early in the game. Hitting into double plays in the first, second and fourth, the Panthers struggled to separate from the Mustangs. Senior Danica Kern and Villas doubled and singled respectively in the third, giving the Panthers two runners in scoring position, but a 3-2 pitch to Tso was hit into the glove of Sahuarita center fielder Emily Donia, standing just in front of the fence.

“We’re aggressive, and most of the time that’s a strength, but sometimes it can come back to get you,� Dennis said.

The Mustangs finally broke through in the fifth inning, aided by some trouble in the field for the Panthers. An error to open the inning put one on for Sahuarita, with a one-out single moving the tying run to scoring position.

Tso came up with a strikeout on a full count for the second out of the inning, but a dribbler back to the circle gave the Panthers pitcher trouble and the Mustangs loaded the bases. An 0-2 single by Figueroa tied the game at 1-all before Tso closed out the inning with her eighth strikeout of the game.

While Sahuarita went down in order in the sixth and seventh, Coconino put runners on in each inning as it looked to avoid extra innings. However, Villas doubled in the sixth, hitting the wall just shy of a home run, but was stranded on the basepaths, and an error by the Mustangs in the seventh was erased when the runner was picked off to end the inning.

Kern, Villas, Tso and Dominguez all recorded two hits in the win, while Tso allowed just four hits in her eight innings in the circle. Tso struck out 10, allowing no walks, with the lone earned run coming in extra innings on the homer.

Coconino will face the winner of No. 10-seeded Walden Grove and No. 14 Poston Butte -- the two teams that earned victories against the No. 6 Flagstaff Eagles -- on Thursday, May 15. Continuing the double-elimination format, Coconino will have two opportunities to reach the 4A Conference championship in the semifinal round. While the location is to be determined, the first game is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m., with a second game beginning 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game if needed.