Red Mountain softball now knows what it feels like to reach the big-school title game undefeated.

Red Mountain accomplished it Wednesday night with a dramatic two-run rally in the seventh to tie and an eighth-inning, game-winning hit by Haley Culley to edge familiar postseason foe Mountain Ridge, 4-3, in the battle of Mountain Lions at  Rose Mofford Softball Complex.

Red Mountain (34-3) shoots for its third consecutive crown next Monday night  May 15 at  7:30 at ASU's Farrington Stadium. Red Mountain will face either Mountain Ridge or Basha for the title. Mountain Ridge and Basha meet Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Rose Mofford  for the right to face Red Mountain in the final.

Mountain Ridge (27-7) had the defending champs on the ropes heading to the bottom of the seventh with solid work in the circle from senior Taryn Kelly. Needing one out and with noone on base, Red Mountain summoned four straight hits to tie the game at 3 on Jordan Beck's two-run single to left. Beck finished with three hits.

After reliever Bre Macha retired Mountain Ridge in order in the top of the eighth for her third shutout inning of work, Red Mountain's T.J. Beeson started the winning rally with a bloop single.  The ball tipped off the end of the glove of Mountain Ridge second baseman Danielle Reynolds.

One out later a sacrifice bunt attempt by Marisa Mayes was successful and a bit extra. Mayes was safe at first as the throw to first was dropped. Mountain Ridge coach Michele Markham brought in reliever Kayline Ayotte to try and stop the rally. Ayotte was greeted by a single to center by Alyssa Fernandez  that also tipped off the glove of a lunging Reynolds. That loaded the bases for four-year starter and leadoff hitter Culley.

Culley responded by slamming a 1-2 pitch that hopped over the fence for a game-winning double. Culley now will get to play in her fourth championship game in four years.

"There is something about this group and their resiliency," Red Mountain coach Rich Hamilton said. "With the two outs in the seventh the plan wasto play the short game. Haley and Payton (Kornfeind)were going  to bunt no matter what. They got on. Sierra (Phillips) gets a hit and then Jordan does to tie the game. When Haley was up the last time she knew we needed a fly ball and she gets it done. This is the way we've been doing it all year."

It was a heart-breaking loss for Mountain Ridge, which made every play behind Kelly without a miscue  the first 7 1/3 innings. Impressive because Red Mountain did not strike out once in the game. Kelly, in fact, got 14 ground outs while limiting Red Mountain to six hits until two were out in the seventh.

Mountain Ridge grabbed a 3-1 lead with two outs in the top of the third on a two-run twisting liner by Bailey Gaffin to left that caromed off the glove of Red Mountain's Alex Wiley. Mountain Ridge hit the ball solidly most of the night off  starting pitcher Phillips, outhitting Red Mountain, 9-6, heading to the last of the seventh.

Red Mountain had to battle its way through the loser's bracket in claiming its three previous crowns in 2006, 2010 and 2011. It won six games in a row in 2006, seven straight in 2010 and four in a row last year.

No doubt Mountain Ridge would love to get another shot at Red Mountain so it can try to end the misery inflicted by the eastside Mountain Lions.

Mountain Ridge has met up with Red Mountain each year Red Mountain won the title. Mountain Rige handed Red Mountain its only loss in 2006, but lost in the loser's bracke to Red Mountain later on. Red Mountain pummeled Mountain Ridge twice in 2010 to earn a berth in the final and posted another lopsided win over Mountain Ridge in the loser's bracket last year. Red Mountain also eliminated Mountain Ridge from the state tournament in 2007.