Relief pitcher Meredith Whitney hit a walk‑off home run for Desert Mountain in the bottom of the seventh inning to give it an 8‑7 win over O’Connor.

Whitney came into the game in relief in the second inning. Desert Mountain had scored seven runs in the first, but O’Connor held it scoreless until Whitney’s blast.

The Eagles (20‑10‑1) went 2‑2 in the double‑elimination tournament, having opened with a win over (Marana) Mountain View before a loss to Sunrise Mountain in the second round May 2 to send the Eagles to the consolation bracket.

In the losers’ bracket, O’Connor blanked Paradise Valley 7‑0 May 6 to set up the game against Desert Mountain.

The Eagles missed out on a golden opportunity to reach the tournament’s semifinals. Had O’Connor won, it would have faced the 10th seed, Sunnyside, which upset Desert Mountain in the second round May 2. O’Connor’s state showing was an improvement over last year when the Eagles lost in the first round to Desert Vista.

Centennial, Kofa, Deer Valley and Sunrise Mountain are the other 5A‑II teams still alive at state.