Great improvement in their second district game, a 7-0 win over the Kentridge Chargers, helped immensely to preserve the chance of the Thomas Jefferson Raiders getting to state in 4A fastpitch.

Talking of what led to the improvement, it was the Raider ladies' first game where they were just not all there most of the game against the Central Kitsap Cougars in an opening 6-1 loss at the West Central Districts III tourney at Sprinker Recreation Center Friday.

The Raiders needed to have beaten Curtis Saturday morning (an 11-1 win in five innings) and Gig Harbor (after press time) to get to the big dance.

"We were dead against that team in the first game we played," said TJ coach Chad Fahnlander, speaking of the Central Kitsap game. The Cougars scored two runs in the first inning and then a couple errors in the third inning hurt for a Cougars run or two, as well as a little unluckiness in the game's fourth helped the Cougars to a big lead, 4-0, after three complete.

It was almost closer than that.

"We came out flat," said Fahnlander. "They had three hard hits about the whole game and we were hitting the ball, but were unlucky." One time a ball hit by Brittany Still hit off the other team's first baseman and ricocheted right to their second baseman. That could have made it 4-2 right there if the ball gets by first."

The only offense for the Raiders in that opening round district game against the No.2 seed was Jill Halverson with a hit and Jayme Carbon hitting her in during the top of the seventh.

"I think we weren't mentally focused," said Halverson, who never has been past districts in her four years. She is a senior captain, so none of these players have been to state. The last time they went was in 2002, when Kevin Hanis was coach, and they won their opener at state over Eastlake, but that's another story.

Fahnlander can talk about the good beginning, middle, and end of the second game versus Kentridge. It is a happy story all through, starting with the fact that the Raiders lost the first league game versus the Chargers, 8-7, and Halversen, who pitched at districts this time, pitched then too.

"I didn't do my best," she said.

Then the next game was a win by the Raiders, 4-2, Halversen allowed a run or two in that one she said. Then this one speaks for itself, she pitched five innings of three-hit ball, never allowing a Kentridge runner past second base.

The offense did things all the while, with the beginning of the game having the Raiders alive and kicking for two runs. Carbon singled, Erin Fujita doubled her in, 1-0, then Stephanie Ogle singled in Fujita, to make it 2-0 Raiders.

Momentum is important at this level and that was getting it right, finally.

"It's about time," said Fahnlander. He was speaking of the CK loss the game before and also a loss before that, 10-6, to Emerald Ridge at the South Puget Sound League playoffs that happened the week before districts.

Then they made it 4-0 in the second as senior Brittany Creek single and junior Sara Byrne did the same. Next up, Carbon hit a 2-RBI single to make it 4-0.

Was Carbon, a sophomore, nervous?

"No, not really," she said. Carbon's sweet swinging has been good all season and she will also have been at state at Gold Mountain Golf Course in Bremerton this past Monday and Tuesday for state there, she said.

So, the Raiders were good to start, and they were really good to go midway through when junior Shawntay, in the top of the third, extended her arms fully swinging the bat, line-driving the ball with pop over the center fielder's head. Fahnlander was waving his arms furiously at her with the ball just being thrown in to second base by the center fielder. He was waving her around third and she went for home and she made it home before the ball just barely for an inside-the-park home run and a 5-0 lead.

The next offense came for the Raiders in the top of the sixth, as Halverson reached base with a hard hit to shortstop that was bobbled. Then Carbon's RBI single brought in Halverson, Fujita singled right after that and Ogle's liner over the Chargers' first baseman made it 7-0 when Carbon came in.

But the game was not over, as Halverson left the pitching mound starting the sixth inning for freshman Jessica Dickson, who allowed a leadoff single and a single after that to have runners at first and second base with still no outs . Then the next batter reached base when the right fielder scooped up the ball cleanly but instead of going for the out went all the way to third base with the ball. All the runners were safe. So, bases loaded, with no outs.

Was Dickson, the sophomore, nervous?

"Yes," said Dickson, "Bases loaded, no outs. Yes I was but I was hoping I could pull through for my team."

The very next batter was induced by a Dickson pitch to get over the ball and hit a chopper right to Dickson, who calmly yet quickly threw to home plate to get a force out and then it was Thong firing to first base in time to get the runner who hit the chopper. Double play!

That was huge, the next batter was struck out. After the Raiders did not score in the top of the seventh, it was Dickson in charge in the bottom of the seventh, getting to ground outs and a strike out to end the Chargers district play.

Fahnlander could have been nervous too with his decision to take out his ace in a game that was a loser-out one.

"I was (nervous)," said Fahnlander, said the question. "But I told Jill that if we were up by seven runs I would put in Jessica. Jessica is our future, we will be putting the pressure on her in the next few years."

Now if the Raiders can only do well at districts a couple more, they will be hot to trot, alive and kicking, heading to state.

"Two wins away," said Halversen. "It is exciting."

Fahnlander thinks it will continue to be exciting now that the team realizes that it is do-or-die time.

"I don't think it is that," said Fahnlander, aswering the question if the fact that youth is present on this team. I don't know why the girls were dead to start out today against that team (CK)," said Fahnlander. "We have two seniors and five, six, juniors. They all know what the playoffs are about."

They know what elimination is about, too.

"It just seemed like we were dead, and didn't want it at first," said Fahnlander. "But once elimination came, they showed some heart."