Courtney Rohde belted a walk-off, inside-the-park home run Sunday to lift the Desert Wolves past a feisty Vipers team 6-5 in the 12u championship of the USSSA Phoenix Open Qualifier at Desert West.

Rohde came through when her team needed her most, stepping in as pitcher for Peyton Mierav in the fifth inning to keep the game knotted at 5-5. Then it was time for her to go to work with her bat, ending the game in dramatic fashion to lift the Wolves to victory.

The Wolves got off to a good start, leading 4-1 after the first inning, but costly errors and a resilient Vipers team kept the game competitive. The Wolves led 5-3 after the third inning but got into trouble in the fourth when the Vipers loaded the bases and tied the game.

Desert Wolves coach Brian Thurston decided to bring his team together and prompted them give everything they had left. After the dramatic finish, he was relieved his team was able to stay focused when the game was up for grabs.

“I’m very proud of them,” he said. “We almost folded but we came through in the end.”

A nasty collision occurred in the third when Wolves outfielders Mary Thurston and Emily Horton went for a pop fly. Both players appeared uninjured, and spirits were high for both squads during the trophy ceremony.