Scottsdale Horizon catcher Steve DeFreitas slammed into the dugout fence to snare a pop-up for the final out as his Huskies survived a bases-loaded threat in the top of the seventh inning to capture a 7-4 win over Glendale Deer Valley at Scottsdale Stadium on Thursday, allowing the them to advance to the 5A-II baseball state championship game.

“I wish it would have been in the championship game so that it would have been on television,” laughed DeFreitas, who will have played in four state championship games, including the 5A-I title game the Huskies won last year.

“That’s the catch of the year,” coach Eric Kibler said. “To get (Kyle Herrington) who hit two home runs in his last game with a foul out? That’s big.”

Connor Hulse pitched six solid innings but got in trouble in the seventh as the Skyhawks (24-8) rapped out three hits to score a run and had the bases loaded after a walk to Chris Capper. Ryan Schwenn relieved Hulse with one out and got some big defensive help to end the game. Blaine Schmidt lined a hard shot to left but right to Thomas Valenza for a sacrifice fly for the second out. Then DeFreitas snagged Herrington’s foul pop.

The Huskies (23-9) led the entire game. Valenza tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the first. Joey Bristyan, who’ll also be playing in his fourth title game, smashed a two-run triple for a 4-0 lead after two.

“I saw the ball real well today,” Bristyan said, adding that he looked forward to a rematch with Peoria Sunrise Mountain, a 3-2 winner over Horizon earlier this season.

Kibler said he didn’t know who his starting pitcher would be on Saturday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. One possible starter, Jordan Mitchell, was suspended earlier this week.