It was the kind of ending every athlete dreams of, even the ones youi think are most capable of it.

And Lauren Haeger is capable.

Haeger shook off a three-run homer she allowed in the third inning that put her team behind, but with her teammates help and her game-winning, tie-breaking homer leading off the seventh Deer Valley edged Ironwood Ridge, 4-3, on Friday night to win the 5A-II softball title at Rose Mofford Softball Complex.

"I didn't pitch as well as I wanted early in the game," Haeger said. "But I believe so much in our team that we could come back."

Haeger walked a batter and hit one in the third inning after Deer Valley grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the frame. With two outs one of several Iron\\\\\\\\wood Ridge hitters with power, Robin Landrith, launched a three-run blast to center putting the Nighthawks in front and quieting the Deer Vallley crowd.

"i thought whoa, this is going to be a challenge," Haeger said.

A two-run rally off Ironwood Ridge pitcher Makayla McAdams in the sixth got Deer Valley even. A solo homer by Katie Renick and RBI single by Dana Cruickshank brought the game to the fateful seventh.

Haeger led off the seventh and took the first pitch for a ball. The next one she didn't miss, taking it over the right-filed fence for her 20th homer of the season and supplying her with the run that earned her her 26th pitching victory.

That's a moment you wait for all your life," Haeger saiid. "I clutched up and got my pitch."

Haeger retired the final 13 batters she faced, and finished with 15 strikeouts. She struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh to cap her career and the Skyhawks season. She allowed just three hits and ended the season with 413 strikeouts in 208 innings.

The championship is the third for Deer Valley (30-6) overall to go with four runner-up finishes, the most recent of those coming in 2009. For Ironwood Ridge(30-7) it was the second runner-up finish in the young school's history, the other coming in 2008.