WORCESTER — Entering the 10th inning of the Division 1 girls softball semifinal against Wachusett, Ava Kelly and Taylor Regan of King Phillip knew they needed to create a spark.

Kelley led off with a single and reached third after a throwing error to start the inning. This set up Regan with an opportunity she needed to convert.

“Ava and I were saying that we were going to go back-to-back,” Regan said. “Once she got to third, I knew I had to put the ball in play.”

That’s exactly what the senior did, drilling the ball down the third base line to give King Phillip a 2-1 lead This, combined with McCoy Walsh shutting the door, allowed King Phillip to secure the win and advance to the state title game against Hockomock league rival Taunton.

“Our team is gritty,” Warriors coach Kate Fallon said. “They’ve really found their identity as a team. They show perseverance, never give up and fight for everything they want.”

Neither team was able to get any offensive momentum going until the third inning, when a walk to Tiegan Walsh led to some small ball and baserunning tenacity that allowed her to advance home on an error and give Wachusett a 1-0 lead.

The Warriors looked like they were in danger of falling to the dominant pitching of Shayna Bakun. However, leadoff hitter Ali Gill put that fear to bed with a solo home run in the top of the fifth inning.

“Ali Gill saved us with that shot,” Regan said. “That is what kept us alive.”

Neither team would manage another run until extras, but the eighth inning provided quite the opportunity for the Warriors. Jo Bennett delivered a single that nearly scored Maddie Paschke, but an excellent throw from Cassie Wikens kept the score at 1-1.

In the bottom of the eighth, Wachusett got a runner on third, but Walsh shut the door and extended the game.

“We focus on the task at hand,” Fallon said. “We approach it one at-bat at a time, one pitch at a time.”

This strategy helped the Warriors avoid a scare in the ninth as well, which allowed the heroics of the 10th to occur.

Walsh went 10 innings, striking out 14 batters and allowing just three hits. Bakun also went 10 innings, allowing just one earned run and nearly getting the Mountaineers over the hump.

As the Warriors prepare for a battle with the Tigers, Fallon said her team is ready for the bright lights.

“We’ve been to the dance before but this time we’re going to the show,” Fallon said. “They have worked hard for it.”