With the softball teams from Peoria Sunrise Mountain and Phoenix Greenway locked in a scoreless duel nobody was happier to see Sunrise Mountain’s Taylor Nowlin hit a leadoff home run in the fifth inning than her starting pitcher.

And that would be . . . Taylor Nowlin.

Top-seeded Sunrise Mountain added another run in the sixth for good measure and went on to post a 2-0 victory on Wednesday (May 8), earning a berth in Monday’s (May 13) Division II state championship game at Arizona State’s Farrington Stadium in Tempe.

Greenway, seeded seventh, will meet No. 4 Tucson Ironwood Ridge in an elimination game on Friday (May 10) at the Rose Mofford Sports Complex in north Phoenix. First pitch is 5:30 p.m. Ironwood Ridge eliminated defending champion Tucson Canyon del Oro 4-0 in an elimination game on Wednesday night in Tucson.

The winner of Friday night’s game will meet Sunrise Mountain for the title.

Nowlin, a senior left-hander, had a no-hitter against Greenway through 5 2/3 innings and finished with a one-hitter, striking out eight, walking two and hitting a batter.

Nowlin was quick to give credit to her catcher Morgan Leonard, who took over behind the plate this season after the previous catcher graduated.

“Morgan has done a great job catching all year. She calls all the pitches,’’ Nowlin said.

Sunrise Mountain coach Jody Pruitt said that “Taylor would not be who Taylor is without Morgan back there.’’

Nowlin battled Greenway’s Maddie Creed, a junior right-hander. Creed had not given up a run in three-plus tournament games before Nowlin connected in the fifth. The ball sailed deep toward right-center field, and Greenway center fielder Bridgette Vargas ran out of room trying to make the catch.

“It felt good to me,’’ Nowlin said.

Sunrise Mountain (35-1) had defeated Greenway (23-8) on two previous occasions this season.

“We won those two, but you have to wonder a little, is this going to be their turn? They are a good team, well-coached,’’ Pruitt said.

Leonard gave Sunrise Mountain a big insurance run in the sixth with a ground-ball forceout with the bases loaded.

So now the Mustangs move on to ASU, site of their tough loss to Canyon del Oro in last year’s title game.

The title game will be a tough game, no matter the opponent, Pruitt said. But she said her players are confident.

“Their sense of urgency is zero,’’ Pruitt said. “I’m sure the nerves are there, but we are playing even-keeled so far.’’