Tigers earn title stripes
 
Burlington-Edison rolls to 7-0 victory over Sehome

By ROGER UNDERWOOD
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

After a raucous team meeting beneath the Yakima County Stadium scoreboard Saturday night, Shannon Askvig ran wind sprints in the outfield grass.

It's something the Burlington-Edison pitcher said he does after every game.

This time, though, there was a bit more spring in Askvig's step and a smile on his face, because this had not been just another game -- either for him or them.

Behind the senior right-hander's five-hit pitching and the hitting of the No. 9 man in their lineup, the Tigers won their school's first state baseball championship, 7-0 over northwest rival Sehome.

"It's just routine," Askvig said of his running, though the expression on his face indicated that the game had been anything but.

Burlington-Edison (18-8) had routed Clarkston in one Friday semifinal while the Mariners (19-8), who won titles in 2007 and 2008, had upset previously unbeaten and defending champion Chehalis, 3-2, in the other.

But while Sehome had won two of three prior meetings with B-E, the M's never got untracked against Askvig and a fired-up group of teammates.

Michael Gallagher, hitting ninth for the Tigers, slapped a two-out, two-run single up the middle to highlight a three-run B-E second inning, raked an RBI single to right in the fourth and then singled and scored in a two-run Tiger sixth.
Kyle Tolf was also 3 for 3 for Burlington-Edison and scored two runs.

Askvig, meanwhile, fanned four and walked four, induced 10 flyouts including seven to right fielder Walker Olis, and pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the fourth.

Up 4-0 at the time, Askvig hit leadoff man John Albert and then walked Ben Wilson. Following shortstop Tolf's highlight-film play on a grounder deep in the hole toward third, which moved both runners up, Hayden Knight was intentionally walked to fill the sacks.

But Askvig got Travis Boyd on a called third strike and Carl Henkel on a bouncer to short.

"I had good command of both my fastball and curve," Askvig said, "and my teammates played great defense behind me. I don't really know how I feel right now, except to say it feels mostly like a dream. I'm still waiting for someone to pinch me."

Sehome seventh: Haas flies out to right; Henkel grounds out to pitcher; Rapp singles to center; Pitsch walks; Ho singles to right; Albert strikes out. 

B-E seventh: Olis strikes out looking; Tolf singles to deep short; Quilliam strikes out; Garcia strikes out. No runs, one hit, no errors, one runner left on base.

Sehome sixth: Wilson lines out to right; Peterson flies out to center; Knight flies out to right. No runs, no hits, no errors, no runners left on base.

B-E sixth: Quilliam strikes out; Garcia lines out to left; Gallagher singles to right; Schwetz singles to right, Gallagher advances to third; Boe intentionally walked; Livingston 2RBI single to left; Erickson strikes out looking. Two runs, three hits, no errors, two runners left on base. 

Sehome fifth: Rapp singles to left; Pitsch flies out to right; Ho flies out to right; Rapp advances to second on wild pitch; Albert strikes out. No runs, one hit, no errors, one runner left on base. 

B-E fifth: Boe singles to left; Livingston sac bunt, Boe safe at second on fielder's choice; Erickson strikes out looking; Olis safe on booted grounder at short; Tolf sacrifice fly to left, scoring Boe, Livingston tagged out trying to advance to third. One run, one hit, one error, one runner left on base. 

Sehome fourth: Albert hit by pitch; Wilson walks; Peterson grounds out to short; Knight intentionally walked; Boyd strikes out looking; Henkel grounds out to short. No runs, no hits, no errors, three runners left on base.

B-E fourth: Tolf singles to right on 0-2 pitch; Quilliam 3-4 sacrifice bunt; Garcia grounds out to short, Tolf advances to third; Gallagher RBI single to right; Schwetz grounds out to second. One run, two hits, no errors, one runner left on base.

Sehome third: Henkel flies out to right; Rapp lines out to short; Pitsch doubles to right; Ho grounds out to pitcher. No runs, one hit, no errors, one runner left on base.

B-E third: Boe doubles to left-center; Livingston strikes out; Erickson lines out to center; Olis strikes out looking. No runs, one hit, no errors, one runner left on base.

Sehome second: Peterson singles to right; Knight flies out to right; Boyd grounds into 5-4-3 double play. No runs, one hit, no errors, no runners left on base.

B-E second: Erickson pops out to second; Olis singles to right; Tolf singles to center, Olis advances to third; Olis thrown out at home on passed ball, Tolf advances to second; Quilliam walks; Garcia walks; Gallagher 2RBI single to center, Garcia scores on throwing error by centerfielder, Gallagher advances to third; Schwetz grounds out to second. Three runs, three hits, one error, one runner left on base.  

Sehome first: Pitsch flies out to left; Ho walks; Albert strikes out; Wilson pops out to third. No runs, no hits, no errors, one runner left on base.

B-E first: Schwetz grounds out to pitcher; Boe strikes out looking; Livingston grounds out to second. No runs, no hits, no errors, no runners left on base.

Starting lineups
   Burlington-Edison -- Schwetz, 3b; Boe, c; Livingston, cf; Erickson, 1b; Olis, rf; Tolf, ss; Quilliam, dh (for Askvig, p); Garcia, 2b; Gallagher, lf.
   Sehome -- Pitsch, ss; Ho, 2b; Albert, cf; Wilson, 3b; Peterson, 1b; Knight, p; Boyd, c; Henkel, lf; Rapp, dh (for Longanecker, rf).