Payback was earned and history was made.

It took a late night’s worth of work Monday and a little drama, but Phoenix Xavier’s 2-0 victory against Sierra Vista Buena in the 5A-I softball state tournament puts the Gators in a whole new world.

Wednesday will be the first time in school history Xavier plays a state tournament semifinal game, when the Gators play Tempe Corona del Sol at 5 p.m. at the Rose Mofford Softball Complex.

To get there, the Gators (27-8) used the right arm of senior pitcher Stephanie Janes, who shut down Buena’s previously-potent lineup with a three-hitter.

A little help was needed and received.

The Gators took advantage of two throwing errors by the Colts (25-8) to push across runs in the fourth and fifth innings.

Janes and the defense did the rest. Her change-up baffled and her riseball rose too high for Buena’s hitters to reach.

In the process, the Gators got one back on the Colts, who beat Xavier early in the playoffs.

“It was a long bus ride home,” Janes said of that 2-0 loss last week.

This time, Xavier got the bounces and then held on.

Janes struck out 12 on the night and didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning.

That’s when it got dicey. The Colts not only managed their first hit, but Meghan McIntosh followed with a double to put runners on second and third with one out.

But Janes got a strikeout and induced a grounder to get out of the jam and preserve the lead.

“That was scary,” Janes said.

The Gators beat Corona del Sol early in the year, but Xavier wasn’t wary of the goes-around, comes-around karma which worked in its favor on Monday.

After all, this season has already been unlike any other.

“This is the farthest we’ve come,” Janes said, “but we’re going to keep on pushing.”