The Diamond Devils defeated the Phoenix Heat 6-5 in extra innings Sunday to claim the USSSA 18u Open championship of The Ribbon softball tournament at Paseo Racquet Club in Glendale.

(Tournament photos, click here.)

The Devils got off to a quick lead on back-to-back RBI from Clari Molina and Jaq Lewis in the first inning. A strike out by Gabby Gatner and a sliding catch by outfielder Kassy Pecerra kept the Devils from increaing their lead.

The Heat answered in the bottom of the second with a two-out RBI single from Taylor Gabaldon to cut the Devil lead in half.

Nel Parlich hit an in-the-park home run in the third to put the Devils up 4-1. Amber Phipps crushed another homer over the fence in left-center for the Devils in the fourth.

The Heat scored twice in the fifth on an RBI-double by Sherrie Irwin and a sacrifice fly by Olivia Valencia. The Heat may have been able to sustain their rally if Devils catcher Lexi Valenzuela hadn’t made a heads-up play to throw out a runner at third to end the inning.

Irwin brought in another two runs with a triple in the bottom seventh after a two-out rally to tie the game, forcing extra innings.

The Devils re-took the lead in the top of the eighth. Confusion on the field over a tagged baserunner who was initially called safe and an overthrown ball allowed the run to score. Kayla Austin set down the Heat in order in the bottom of the inning, ending the game with a strike out.