FASTPITCH: E’burg carries day for CWAC

SELAH, Wash. — The untouchable ace got knocked around just enough to get her riled up. Then when the bats went silent, the No. 2 pitcher became untouchable. And the Ellensburg Bulldogs generally did so much worth celebrating that their coach actually hurt himself doing just that.

That was the opening day of the Class 2A state fastpitch tournament in a nutshell for Ellensburg, which became the CWAC’s lone remaining entry when both Selah and East Valley went two-and-out.

Ellensburg's Sarah McNamee delivers a pitch against Centralia Friday, May 29, 2009. (Andy Sawyer/Yakima Herald-Republic)

But the Bulldogs carried the league’s banner well, rallying from two runs down in the bottom of the seventh against Centralia to win 5-4 in eight innings, then riding Jessica Harris’ one-hitter to a 2-0 triumph over North Mason.

“It’s a testament to these kids,” Ellensburg coach Dave Kopczynski said. “In the first game, it was the bottom half of the order, then in the next one it’s the top. I can’t say enough about these kids.”

In today’s games, he’ll have to say it without jumping around. When Ellie Layman’s eighth-inning single to left scored Josie Savage with the winning run against Centralia, Kopczynski jumped up in exhilaration and landed wrong, feeling something pop. Tournament trainers told him it might be a partial tear of the left Achilles tendon.

“That’s OK. I’m not going anywhere,” Kopczynski said, hobbling with his calf and ankle well-taped. “I’ll celebrate on one leg if I have to.”

To celebrate today, though, the Bulldogs (23-1) must get past their 10 a.m. semifinal against Woodland (18-6), which had the opening day’s most impressive player in sophomore pitcher Emily Holt. She struck out 13, pitched a one-hitter and slammed a monster home run in a 10-0 pounding of Blaine, then hit another homer and struck out 16 in a two-hitter in the Beavers’ 3-0 quarterfinal victory over Colville.

Burlington-Edison rode Lindsey Dawson’s steady pitching to a pair of shutouts en route to the semifinals, 5-0 over Chehalis and 1-0 over Pullman. The Tigers (20-6) will face upstart Tumwater (16-7), who edged once-beaten Steilacoom 3-2 as Samantha Stahle drove in all three runs on a homer and a double, then nipped Granite Falls 1-0 behind Kierstin Smith’s 11-strikeout three-hitter.

East Valley finished 15-11 in a pair of low-scoring losses 4-2 to Granite Falls and 5-1 to Steilacoom. In the first game, the Red Devils simply couldn’t deal with Granite Falls hurler Alyssa Arndt, who struck out 16, and then they committed six errors against Steilacoom.

Ellensburg's Ellie Layman, (#3) is congratulated by her teammates after driving in the winning run in the eighth inning against Centralia Friday, May 29, 2009. The Bulldogs won 5-4. (Andy Sawyer/Yakima Herald-Republic)

Selah (18-6) had similar woes in its two games, committing five errors in a 9-2 loss to Pullman and then four in their 7-6 loss to Chehalis, with errors paving the way for the Bearcats’ final two runs, including the game-winner. That offset the Vikings’ 10-hit attack, including a seven-hit, four-run fourth inning that included six consecutive singles.

“We didn’t executive,” Vikings coach Bill Harris said. “We played two teams today that we were evenly matched with and we did not execute. It’s disappointing, because we knew we were a good enough team to get here. Then we got here and didn’t execute.”

Ellensburg, though, did. After Centralia pitcher Ramona Lofton slugged a two-run homer in the top of the seventh for a 4-2 lead off Bulldog ace Sarah McNamee, who hadn’t given up an earned run all season, McNamee answered in the bottom of the inning with a two-run double down the line.

“I was like, OK, you hit one off me, now it’s my turn,” McNamee said. “It wasn’t exactly a home run, but it did the job.”

So, too, did Harris in the Bulldogs’ second game. She pitched no-hit ball through six and then, after North Mason’s Cristy Norcross slammed a double in the seventh, Harris saved a run by snaring an Abbey Marshall line drive just over her forehead.

“There’s not really any thought that goes through your mind,” she said with a grin. “It’s like, ‘Oh, protect your face.’”

And, in this case, the Bulldogs’ championship hopes.