ANACORTES — Meadowdale clean-up batter Jared Dyson wasn’t waiting to hit the bulk of his home runs this season in the playoffs. It just happened that way.

The senior first baseman hit his third home run in as many playoff games May 15 to help the Mavericks defeat Sehome 7-1 in a winner-to-regional, loser-out Class 3A District 1 playoff game at Daniels Field in Anacortes. It was Tyson’s fourth of the season.

“I was hitting pretty good in the beginning of the season, but I went on a skid for awhile,” said Dyson, who capped off the Mavericks’ victory with a three-run homer over the center field fence in the seventh inning.

“But I picked it up last week and they (last three home runs) have just been coming.”

The defending district champion Mavericks (10-15), who won their third consecutive game, earned the third and final berth to the regional tournament. Sehome finished the season 11-13.

“This was a good victory,” Meadowdale coach Ron Martin said. “A team that concentrates and plays well for more than four out of seven innings usually wins the game. We have learned, as the year has progressed, to do that more than we did in the beginning of the season.”

Meadowdale, which scored three runs on four Sehome errors in the fourth inning, received plenty of defense, starting with pitcher Brandon Mckerney (2-5).

The senior left-hander, who missed the past two weeks due to a shoulder injury, surrendered three hits and struck out five batters, including two straight to finish out the seventh inning.

“He’s probably the best pitcher we’ve seen this season,” Sehome coach Gary Hatch said. “He has great poise and command of his pitches.”

Jensen Evans, Dyson and Mckerney were a combined 6-for-10 with five RBI to lead the Mavericks.