SEATTLE, Wash.--Danielle Lawrie threw a four-hit shutout and hit a two-run home run to lead No. 1-ranked Washington to a 3-0 win over North Dakota State in the opening round of the NCAA Seattle Regional played Friday, May 21, before 1,610 in Husky Softball Stadium. North Carolina defeated Nebraska 1-0 in the first game.

North Dakota State (33-24) is scheduled to play Nebraska (29-28) in a loser's bracket game at 7:30 p.m. (Central) Saturday, May 22. Washington (46-6) plays North Carolina (41-18) at 5 p.m. (Central) in a winner's bracket game. The NDSU-NU winner plays the UW-UNC loser at 10 p.m. (Central) on Saturday.

Lawrie, who improved to 36-2, posted her 21st shutout of the season. She struck out 13 batters and worked out of trouble several times when the Bison threatened during the game. NDSU was shut out for the only the fourth time this season.

Lawrie also did it with her bat. She hit a two-run home run that bounced off the top of the left field fence to put the Huskies ahead 2-0 with one out in the bottom of the first inning.

Washington extended the lead to 3-0 in the third inning. Amanda Fleischman pushed a single through the right side between first and second. Fleischman stole second, moved to third on a a Kimi Pohlman ground out and scored on Jenn Salling's bullet ground out to second.

Snaring Salling's hard-hit ground out was one of several alert defensive plays turned in by NDSU second baseman Laurel Pipkin, who also led the Bison with a pair of hits to extend her hitting streak to 14 games.

North Dakota State put runners in scoring position in fifth and sixth innings. In the fifth, Becca Gift single, advanced to second with one out. However, Lawrie received a ground out and recorded a strikeout to end the threat.

An error and Pipkin single put runners on first and second in the sixth with two outs, but Lawrie notched another strikeout to snuff out the rally. Elisa Victa had the other hit for NDSU, a single off the third baseman's glove in the first.

Whitney Johnson (26-17) overcame the Huskies two-run first inning. She scattered six hits, walked four and struck out three in her first NCAA tournament game.