If Oxbridge Academy’s softball team goes on to win the state championship, the ThunderWolves will always remember the play at the plate when junior Gabby Edwards slid under the tag and was safe — barely.

Host Oxbridge Academy is moving on to the FHSAA state regional finals after a thrilling 3-2 walk-off win Tuesday over Academy for Innovative Education (Miami Springs).

Edwards scored from third on a grounder, setting off a spirited celebration of hugs despite a coaching challenge that got denied.

The final dramatic play overshadowed the brilliant bounce-back pitching performance of senior ace Chandler Barry, who allowed two runs in the first inning and didn’t allow another. The ThunderWolves (19-5) rallied back after being no-hit for the first three innings.

“It’s so exciting," Barry said. “We don’t have games like that. A lot of our regular season games are against teams that aren’t very good. (AIE) is a great team. Playing teams like this makes us better in the long run — mentally and physically."

Free! Check out our weekly high school sports newsletter

More: Benjamin hopes to repeat at state track and field in busy prep postseason week

Oxbridge Academy will face region top seed Florida Christian on Friday night.

As the umpires huddled for a couple of minutes after the plate challenge, Edwards grew concerned. “In a game like this, we really want to win states so I was nervous, then excited," Edwards said.

The seventh inning started with Edwards being pinch-hit for by eighth-grader Elle Perotto as Oxbridge Academy coach Kevin Drake took a gamble with the youngster because of her hitting potential.

Perotto walked, then Edwards came back on the field to run for her. “You get a lead-off person on, it’s big," Drake said.

Edwards got all the way to third on a sacrifice bunt by Kelley Dever after she collided with the first baseman, knocking her down. AIE manager Alex Torres protested the legality of the collision but was rebuffed.

With a runner on third and one out, the next batter, Kaiya Glucksman, hit a grounder to shortstop. Instead of checking the runner at third, the shortstop fired to first as Edwards raced home.

The first baseman's throw home was perfect and so was the slide. The play was razor-close with the tag perhaps a tad late. It was so close a replay review would’ve been justified.

“I was surprised they didn’t go home first because of the winning run on third," Edwards said. “I would expect them to go home so I waited and stuttered a bit. That’s why I was a little late to home plate. But I made it though. I was safe. She tagged me after I slid."

Torres, whose 12-17 Miami squad has one of the roughest schedules, challenged again and lost again. Still, he handled the defeat with grace.

“It was a close play and they made the call," Torres said. “We’ll live with it. I told the girls that’s the beauty of the game — the human element with umpires. To the naked eye, that was my judgment (that she was out). We won’t make any excuses. We’ll be back next year — stronger and wiser. We have a very young team.’’

Drake seemed more relieved than elated.

“We had a little stuff on our side today to win that game," Drake said. "They’re a scrappy, well-coached team."

The karma looked awry for the ThunderWolves in the bottom of the sixth when they wasted a bases-loaded, one-out situation.

Patticake Parke drilled a hard liner to left but right at the outfielder, keeping the game deadlocked at 2.

But it was only a matter of time until Oxbridge Academy pushed across the lead run, its lone lead of the game.

It started bleakly when Barry gave up three hits and two runs in the first inning. It wasn’t as bad as the district finals when the team fell behind 5-0 in the first inning.

“I trust my offense so much," Barry said. “Everyone has power and can hit the ball. When they score, we come back to the dugout and I feel it’s no problem."

She finished allowing two runs and five hits. She got help from her fielders as Oxbridge turned two doubles plays, including a clutch one in the top of the seventh after the leadoff batter got on.

“I don’t think I’ve gotten two doubles plays since I’ve been here," Drake said.

“I’ll tell you what, (Barry) settled down after two runs in the first inning," Drake added. “She got stronger. She’s a gamer. She puts everything she’s got into it."

Oxbridge tied the score with two runs in the fourth when Madison Jennings got the team’s first hit to lead off the inning. The slugging lefty Bella Ruggiero followed by pulling a ground single to right.

Jennings scored when she stole third and raced in on a bad throw.  Parke hit a game-tying sacrifice fly with Ruggiero scoring.

“We needed a game like this," Drake said. “We’ve been rolling through people a bit. Hopefully, this helps us Friday night."

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Oxbridge Academy softball races into region final with walk-off win