Jenna Wright, left, and Amanda Wilson show their emotion after losing to St. Mary's in the 5A-I state softball championship game.

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PHOENIX — Sierra Vista Buena waited 30 years to make a final in a team sport.

On Friday night, Dallas Escobedo ensured the Colts' run at history ended there.

Escobedo, a Phoenix St. Mary's freshman, struck out 17 batters and allowed three hits to turn back the Colts 2-0 in eight innings in Friday's Class 5A-I state final at Rose Mofford Softball Complex.

The Knights scored twice in the top of the eighth to end what had been a pitchers' duel between Escobedo and Buena's Meghan McIntosh.

"Dallas is tough; there's no doubt about it," said Buena coach Mike Tomooka, who led the school to its first team final since the girls basketball team made the championship game in spring 1977. "She kept them in the game, just like Meghan kept us in the game. I think, on any given day, it's a coin toss between us and St. Mary's."

St. Mary's (29-8-1) broke the tie with a pair of runs in the eighth. Amanda Gomez led off with a single and stole second. Vanessa Ramirez struck out, and Escobedo was walked intentionally, putting runners on first and second with one out. The Knights' Dre Gomez reached on a botched fielder's choice at third base.

Molly Smith then ripped a first-pitch single to left field to make it 1-0. St. Mary's scored its second run a batter later when Escobedo beat the throw home on an attempted force out.

In the bottom of the eighth, Escobedo struck out Amanda Wilson and Melissa Hardy, and got Lisa Stensby to ground out to end the game.

Escobedo (27-8-1) wears horn-rimmed glasses on the mound, prompting comparisons to Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn of "Major League" movie fame.

"Everybody says that," she said.

Escobedo lived up to the reputation Friday, blazing fastballs past the Colts while remaining effectively wild. She allowed three base runners in the first two innings before settling down. Escobedo retired seven of Buena's final 10 batters on strikes.

"She pitched very well," said Buena's McIntosh, who struck outs six and allowed five hits. "She's a great pitcher."

When Buena (31-6) did get an opportunity to grab the lead, it slipped away.

Courtney Davis led off the fifth inning with a triple to right field but was stranded there. Wilson struck out, Davis was nailed on a fielder's choice, and Stensby was retired on strikes to end the inning.

"We just didn't get that one hit we needed," Tomooka said.