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Sunnyside defeated Ironwood Ridge 7-2 Friday to complete its conference schedule unbeaten. But it was not that easy. The game lasted nine innings.

Mari Contreras of Sunnyside (25-5, 6-0) and Kelsey Groff of Ironwood Ridge (13-12-1, 3-2) dueled in a playoff-type atmosphere to force the game into extra innings tied at two.

The Blue Devils broke it open in the ninth with five runs. Brianna Romero and Adriana Gradillas opened with singles.

Then the Blue Devils hit for the cycle in the inning. Nicole Marquez doubled. And after a walk to Stella Pinon, Claudia Nuñez cleared the bases with a triple to the right field fence. After Nuñez came home on an error, Contreras belted a ball over the left field fence.

"Both teams were playing great defense," said Sunnyside coach Pete Palomarez, whose team won the Class 5A-II state championship last year. "Both pitchers were great. There were a couple of home runs late. Our bats came to life in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings."

Contreras allowed six hits and two runs while striking out 10. Groff struck out five and scattered 10 hits.

The Blue Devils trailed 2-0 going into the fifth. But a walk to Marquez before a home run by Pinon tied the game at 2.

Ironwood had scored first in the second on a single by Groff and a run-scoring double by Aletheia Swihart. In the second, Adrianna DiMatteo doubled, was sacrificed to third, and scored on a single by Morgan Long to make it 2-0.

"We had our opportunities," said I-Ridge coach Randy Anway. "We just didn't execute. I thought our pitcher threw really well."

Pinon had three hits and reached base four times for Sunnyside. Marquez  got on base three times, while Contreras added two hits.

● The UA's Hillenbrand Stadium will be the site of Wednesday's regular-season finale between Tucson and Sunnyside at 7 p.m.

Hillenbrand has hosted state playoffs games before, but never a regular-season contest. Admission is $3.

Also Wednesday, the schools' baseball teams will play at Tucson Electric Park at 7 p.m., the first high school game at the venue since 2004. Admission to TEP will likely be free.