AUSTIN -- The Colony's Haley Ramsey received her high school diploma Friday in an on-field ceremony at Red and Charline McCombs Field.

Appropriately, it came a few minutes after her game-winning hit in the eighth inning showed what she had learned.

"Every time I went up to bat, the first pitch was a strike," Ramsey said after The Colony's 3-0 win over Canyon in a Class 5A state semifinal. "I just knew I had to swing at the first pitch because it's the best pitch to hit."

The senior hit it hard -- the smash short-hopped the fence in left field -- and she did it with the bases loaded. Two runs scored, and after The Colony (32-7) added a third on an errant throw by Canyon (35-5), pitcher Karlie Charles and The Colony defense locked down the win with a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth.

The Colony, making its first state appearance, will play Willis (41-7) at 3 p.m. Saturday in the 5A title game. Because The Colony's seven senior players will miss Saturday's school graduation, they donned graduation gowns after the game and were given their diplomas at home plate.

Ramsey was happy to get her diploma, but it didn't match the feeling of her bat solidly connecting with the winning hit.

"That was more exciting," she said. "That was a very proud moment."

The Colony had reason to be proud after pulling out the win despite its offense, which averages eight runs per game, managing one hit through seven innings. The Cougars made up for it with the strong pitching of Charles (25-3), a sophomore who scattered seven hits over eight innings, and solid defense that got them out of trouble.

The biggest jam came in the bottom of the sixth, when back-to-back singles gave Canyon runners at first and second with no outs. Canyon's Kyra Lair, whose pitching record dropped to 27-2 despite a strong performance, then connected on a single to center that looked like it might break the scoreless tie. But the ball was hit sharply, and center fielder Morgan Olson fielded it cleanly and threw a strike to catcher Jacee Hamlin to throw out the runner at the plate.

Charles then induced a grounder to second base that The Colony turned into an inning-ending double play.

"I've been so proud of our defense all year long," The Colony coach Deana Coleman said. "That also gives Karlie confidence. When you're like, 'Look, if I can keep the ball in the ballpark, our girls are going to get it.'"

Keeping it in the ballpark is easier said than done against Canyon, which hit a national-record 82 home runs this year. But the deepest shot hit Friday was Ramsey's game-winner, which came after her teammates got things going with one out.

Jayda Coleman walked and stole second, Hamlin reached on an infield hit and Madison Hirsch singled to left to load the bases. Ramsey then came to the plate and needed one pitch to give The Colony one more game.

Coach Coleman knew that eventually her hitters would start connecting.

"Stay with what you're doing. Hit good pitches," she told the players. "We stay with our plan no matter if it's the first inning or the 15th. The whole team did a good job with it."

Twitter: @mattwixon