SELAH — Lindsey Dawson and the Burlington-Edison softball team proved as fierce on the first day of the state tournament as they have the rest of the season.
Because of it, they’re two victories away from the Class 2A state title.
Dawson threw a no-hitter in the Tigers’ first game, belted one home run in both games and was backed up by a stingy defense as Burlington-Edison reached the Class 2A state semifinals with back-to-back victories.
The Tigers downed West Valley of Spokane 2-0 in the first game, then beat W.F. West 4-0 in the second, and will play Colville at 10 a.m. today at Carlson Park in the state semifinals.
Dawson struck out 15 batters in the first game for the first no-hitter of her career — a feat she didn’t realize she had accomplished until after she completed it.
“When I heard it announced, that’s when I knew,” she said.
West Valley coach Paul Cooley said he was impressed with the performance.
“It wasn’t as much the movement (on Dawson’s pitches), it was the quickness. The ball just pops out of her hand,” he said. “She was pretty dominant.”
Dawson also helped herself at the plate in the fifth inning when she drove the first pitch she saw from counterpart Rachel Meagley so hard over the center-field fence that it rolled uphill before trickling backwards.
The Tigers had difficulty bringing runners home, stranding 10, but managed to add an insurance run later on a run-scoring single from third baseman Jasmine Rigelman.
Shortstop Amy Entriken went 3-for-3 with a double in the game — a strong performance she would almost equal in the second contest — and catcher Jessica Tingley threw out a potential base stealer in the third.
Many of the themes from the first game were continued in the second. Dawson threw a two-hitter, allowing only a pair of singles; Entriken went 2-for-3 with a double; and Tingley snuffed out a pair of steal attempts, one with a runner on with no outs.
Dawson added to her home run total, driving a pitch from W.F. starter Emily Sinclair over the center-field fence for a two-run shot.
The home run scored Holly Bradley, who had doubled earlier in the inning on her way to a 2-for-3 performance. Dawson later added a run-scoring single.
“You can’t ask for more than that,” Burlington-Edison coach Darcy Taylor said of Dawson’s performance. “When you have a pitcher throw like that, you’re going to have good days.”
Taylor said the Tigers (18-4) also played good defense, a relief after they struggled at times in districts.
Next up, the Tigers will face a Colville team that entered the tournament 19-1 and has knocked off Sehome (8-7) and Hoquiam (15-1) on its way to face the Tigers.
A win will propel Burlington-Edison to the championship game at 2 p.m.
Anacortes at 2A Tournament
One stirring comeback wasn’t enough for the Seahawks, who dug their way out of a 4-0 deficit to win their first-round game before losing their next two.
Madison Bundy hit a two-run home run, and she and Tara Bellusci later added key squeeze plays to help the Seahawks to a dramatic 7-5 victory over East Valley of Yakima in their first game.
The Seahawks then went on to lose to Centralia 6-3 and Steilacoom 6-5 to see their season come to an end.
Bundy was 1-for-2 with a double and two RBI in the second game, and Hannah Brennan was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Sara Brennan had a home run in the loss to Steilacoom, and Bellusci was 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBI.
Coach Tom Swapp said it was a spectacular season for the young Seahawks (13-9).
“Who knew, with five freshman how it was going to go?” he said. “But it was obvious from the first games we would be tough.”
