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PHOENIX — In the span of 15 minutes Monday night, Cienega lost its best run-producer, took the lead, lost the lead, then won the most important game in school history.

Now the Bobcats are one win from the Class 4A-I state championship game.

Cienega overcame two ejections and several last-inning mistakes to beat Peoria 3-2 in its final at-bat in a quarterfinal game at Rose Mofford Complex.

The frenzied win put the third-seeded Bobcats in Wednesday's semifinal against rival Sahuaro at Amphi at 6 p.m.

That is the good news. The bad news is that Cienega's leader, sophomore catcher Emily Pohl, will miss the semifinal round of the state playoffs, after being ejected.

"That's big-time devastating," coach Eric Tatham said. "She's the catalyst for us with her defense and how well she swings the bat."

Pohl led off the sixth inning of a scoreless game with a double. Two batters later, Pohl was thrown out at home plate on a chopper to the middle of the infield.

The home plate umpire alleged that Pohl threw an elbow at catcher Jessica Rix after she was tagged. Pohl was ejected immediately, as was a Cienega assistant coach. AIA tournament coordinator Dean Visser said Pohl will miss the next game per AIA rules.

Cienega managed to take a 1-0 lead in the inning, but a pair of fielding miscues allowed Peoria to go up 2-1 in the top of the seventh.

Brittany Keiser and Morghan Doughty started the Bobcats' rally in the bottom half by reaching base with one out. Pinch hitter Arielle Baker — batting in place of Pohl — laid down a bunt that scored Keiser to tie it at 2.

Then Ashlee Brawley perfectly placed a bunt to the right side that scored Doughty to put Cienega in the semifinals for the first time ever.

"All I saw was the ball go down, and I was off. All I was thinking was, 'Score,'" Doughty said. "We knew we had the heart to pull through in a situation like that."

● Sahuaro 6, Scottsdale Chaparral 0: At Rose Mofford, the Cougars' offense staked stalwart pitcher Kira White to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, and Chaparral was buried from the start.

White made good on her end of the deal, striking out 14 in a four-hit shutout of the No. 2 seed in the 4A-I tourney.

"I always think of Kira as a terminator. If she gets the lead early, she's money," Sahuaro coach Steve Sanchez said. "

Sahuaro, the No. 7 seed, sent nine batters to the plate in the first inning against the Firebirds' ASU-bound hurler, Mackenzie Popescue. Logan Hall drilled a two-run double off the wall, and Jessica Schneider's squeeze bunt scored Hall to make it 3-0.

"We came out with all the confidence in the world at the plate," Hall said. "We had Kira's back on defense, and if she's on her game, nobody can hit her."