Plain No-Hits Bulldogs In Regional Final

SEATTLE-- Both head coaches downplayed the significance of the team’s meeting three months ago in Puerto Vallarta, won 7-5 by the Huskies but included Mia Davidson taking Plain deep three times, a feat that no other team has even accomplished against Plain in her career.

The relief on Plain’s face was obvious.

“I’m pretty excited,” she said with a chuckle. “It didn’t end too well for me last time. We won the game, but it was a bit of an off game for me. I’m glad we got to get the win over them again.

“She had a pretty decent performance (in February), but to have somebody hit three home runs off of you – that’s pretty humbling,” Washington Head Coach Heather Tarr said.

There was nothing decent about her performance this time. Plain (21-2) was in control from the start, striking out 10 as she faced the minimum. The only baserunner was Kat Moore, who drew a leadoff walk for the Bulldogs in the second only to be doubled off first base when Plain made a great snag on a hard liner back to the circle two pitches later by Candace Denis.

With an early 2-0 lead and the dominance from Plain, the Huskies’ win never really seemed to be in doubt, but the no-hitter required significant help. Besides the line-drive double play in the second, Sis Bates made a pair of fantastic plays at short to help Plain secure her fourth career no-hitter and become just the third Husky to record at least three in one season.

With two outs in the third, Bevia Robinson hit one sharply at the feet of Bates. Bates had to go down to the ground to knock it down, but with the speed of Robinson, didn’t have time to get up, so she made a perfect throw from her knees to get the slapper at first.

Brief worry in the stands changed quickly to elation when Montana Davidson laced a comebacker to Plain in the fifth. Plain barely got her glove up in time to protect her face, blocking the ball and deflecting it toward Bates. Bates reached down and fired off-balance to first, and a play that could have resulted in a key player being injured, or at least broken the no-hit bid, instead resulted in a 1-6-3 putout.

Morganne Flores hit her third homer off Emily Williams (15-10) in two games to make it 4-0 in the fifth, and Emma Helm continued her sudden resurgence with a three-run shot later in the inning to chase the Bulldogs’ ace. After entering Saturday’s matchup mired in a 1-for-18 slump, Helm went 5-for-7 in the two games against Mississippi State (35-23) with a homer, a double, and four RBIs.

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