She couldn't keep up the devastating pace, but she finished with 18 strikeouts over 14 innings, pitching two complete games against the Lynx to secure West's first state championship.
The final out of the final inning fittingly came down to ace pitcher against ace pitcher. Dimond's Jacki Wood grounded a ball right back to Tufi, who calmly threw to first base and closed out a 3-2 win.
"When I fielded the ball, I was smiling," Tufi said. "We did it."
Tufi's pitching wasn't her only contribution. She also launched a long, solo home run in the bottom of the third inning, giving the Eagles a 2-0 lead.
"We got out-Paulined," said Dimond coach Ron Thompson. "West played a great game."
In the small schools championship, Sitka capped an undefeated run through the tournament by beating Homer 8-0 to claim its second straight title. Sophomore Stefania Potrzuski struck out four in the complete-game shutout and Emily Inman went 2 for 2 with three RBIs.
West took the long road to the championship, playing four games Saturday. An 8-2 loss to the Lynx in an early semifinal game dropped the Eagles to the loser's bracket of the double-elimination tournament. Then they beat West Valley for the second time in two days, 8-1, to earn another shot at Dimond.
"About the end of the second game, I thought, 'I'm done,' " West's Nikki Olsen said.
But the Eagles still had two more games -- both against Dimond, both with the state title on the line.
West won the first of those 9-1 to force the if-necessary game and end a 14-game winning streak for the Lynx, an impressive run powered by Wood's pitching.
Wood threw a perfect game in last weekend's Cook Inlet Conference tournament, threw back-to-back shutouts in Friday's opening round and pitched three complete games Saturday.
"She's amazing for pitching them through the whole tournament," said Olsen. "She's so tough."
Wood continued her dominant ways in Saturday's semifinal win over West, but in the first championship game, the Eagles' bats started heating up.
Tufi led off the top of the fourth inning of a scoreless game with a double, followed by an RBI single by Olsen. The Eagles capped a four-run rally with a two-run double by outfielder Vaa Pedro.
"After that, the whole tempo of the game kind of changed," Tufi said.
Olsen kept the momentum going for the Eagles the next inning, drilling a line-drive, solo homer to center field.
Wood bounced back in the second game, keeping the Lynx within striking distance.
Trailing 3-0 after five innings, Dimond scored twice in the top of the sixth, getting a two-out triple by Brittney Coleman and a ground-rule double by Sierra Afoa. The rally ended when Madison Richards grounded out.
"It was a great season," said Thompson. "We had a good run. West earned it."
Jeff Matthis, who took over head coaching duties for West last season, said he couldn't have turned the softball program around so fast without the help of great assistant coaches.
"It's not something you can do by yourself," he said.
West assistant coach Rod Hill said he felt like crying at the end of the game.
"After so many years of not having any success at West High softball," he said. "Good things are in store for us."
Ten of the 16 players on the Eagles' roster are freshmen or sophomores, including the four sophomores who hit at the top of the batting order -- Jamie Bingham, Denali Smith, Tufi and Olsen.
"I'm really looking forward to the next two years," said Olsen.
Reach Jeremy Peters at jpeters@adn.com or 257-4335.
ASAA/First National Bank
State softball championship
Large schools
Saturday's scores
West Valley 12, East 11 (loser out)
Dimond 8, West 2 (semifinal)
West 8, West Valley 1 (loser out)
West 9, Dimond 1 (championship)
West 3, Dimond 2 (if-necessary championship)
All-tournament team
Tina Persinger, Lathrop; Carrie Sauerbrey, East; Elise Mitchell, East; Courtney Evans, West Valley; Shiana McLean, West Valley; Tara Thompson, Dimond; Brittney Coleman, Dimond; Haley Montagna, Dimond; Nikki Olsen, West; Jamie Bingham, West; Devonne Troutman, West; Pauline Tufi, West.
Small schools
Saturday's scores
Homer 11, Soldotna 7 (loser out)
Sitka 4, Ketchikan 3 (semifinal)
Homer 12, Ketchikan 8 (loser out)
Sitka 8, Homer 0 (championship)
All-tournament team
Amandra Cobb, Soldotna; Chelsie Weihing, Ketchikan; Molly Royer, Ketchikan; Hannah Larue, Homer; Richelle Ramil, Sitka; Jule Peterson, Sitka; Stefania Potrzuski, Sitka.
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