In some baseball circles the three-run home run is downplayed in favor of a return to the days of more speed on the basepaths.

But Terin Beck of the Federal Way High School baseball team didn't have any trouble with the big blasts. He hit a two-run home run in the top of the second and launched a three-run shot over almost the same spot on the Kent Memorial Park right-field fence in the third.

Taylor Horsfall found the two-run shot to his liking in the fifth, only he launched the ball out to center field. Brett Evans went for the solo shot and crunched it out to right center, also in the fifth.

For Beck the blasts against Rogers of Puyallup in a 14-2 win were his first two home runs of the season, although he has been known as a power hitter in previous years.

"Terin, he has struggled," said Federal Way head coach Dan Graham. "He's been the No. 4 and No. 5 hitter, then we made him the eighth.

He's slowly starting to move up a bit. We haven't hit too many, maybe 11 or 12 as a team. He had zero before."

"I've been practicing and practicing," said Beck of his turn around. "I've been a home run hitter before. I was just trying to help the team."

Beck batted sixth in what was the third-place game of the South Puget Sound League tournament.

It advanced the Eagles into this Saturday's West Central District tournament at Heidelberg Park in Tacoma, next to Cheney Stadium and Foss High School. The Eagles will play an 11 a.m. game against the Narrows League No. 1 team. Federal Way has two chances to score a win and advance to the regional level of state.

A loss Saturday would have matched Federal Way with cross-district rival Thomas Jefferson this Saturday.

"This was huge," Graham said. "TJ is a great team. I'd rather see a team we don't know so well."

Thomas Jefferson opens its district stay at 2 p.m. Saturday at Heritage Field, next to Rogers High School on Puyallup's south hill.

Rogers happens to be the team Federal Way played in its lone SPSL sub-district playoff game this past Saturday.

The Eagles opened the scoring with four runs in the top of the second inning.

Elliot Morris singled and stole second to start it off and Brett Evans hit into an error at shortstop to bring him in. Evans wound up at third on the play.

That set the stage for Beck, who hit his first home run out to right to score two.

Taylor Horsfall tripled down the left-field line with two out and scored on a throwing error.

Rogers scored their only two runs in the second, while Federal Way kept its hitting barrage with three runs in the third when Beck blasted his three-run shot.

The fifth inning featured two home runs in a seven-run Eagle rally.

Morris flew out to start the inning, before Evans hit his solo home run. Beck was hit by a pitch and stole second and Adam Yunker hit a double to bring him home. Horsfall then hit a two-run home run to center for two runs.

Drew Cratsenberg hit into an error with two out to start the rally all over again and Tanielu singled him to second.
Webber doubled in Cratsenberg and Morris singled to left to score both runners and make it 14-2.

The Eagles then held Rogers scoreless in the bottom of the fifth to bring the 10-run rule into effect and win it.