Kennedy moved smoothly through the West Central District 3A tournament, like a hot knife through butter, in the first game, an 8-0 win over North Thurston. Their second win of the day, 1-0, over rival, Mount Rainier, meant one word at Sprinker Recreation Center in Tacoma Friday.

State. Again.

The Lancers have made the state trip each of the last two seasons and taken one game against two losses in each visit, so that has made them top 10 in the state.

This time may be better than that if their ace pitcher, Karli Merlich, continues her season-long ways. She's 13-1, with the only loss a non-league game against Rogers.

Against North Thurston, Merlich was unhittable, literally. She struck out 13, and allowed no hits in seven innings.

The second game would play out much tougher than the first for the Lancers. There would be no scoring and just a lot of great defense from both sides and again, from, the junior, Merlich, great pitching. Also, Rams sophomore Julie Soderlind would shut down the Lancers but for one run in the bottom of the fourth.

Speaking of young, it was two freshmen that combined to get the game-winner for the Lancers.

"Way to go, freshman," said Dew Spadoni, the Lancers' catcher, after Jessica Lewis hit it hard up the middle and that brought in fellow frosh, Ashley Davis, who singled her time up before.

Why freshman?

"That's my nickname for her," said Spadoni, a senior and captain.

Spadoni, who is called 'Dew' by teammates and her coaches, made a great catch of a Rams infield ball. It was a diving catch, with Merlich trying to track it down, too, but she fell just as the ball was to land and Spadoni grabbed it one-handed.

This game was filled with other good plays, in both the fifth and sixth innings. The Lancers made some good hits into the hole at shortstop including one to the left of the Rams' Sarah Martinez where she somehow wheeled around after scooping the ball and firing to first in time to just get the throw in ahead of the runner.

"She is the key to our defense," said Kelly Parsons, a senior captain and a good catcher on the Rams.

She was on the Rams' team that took fourth in the state when she was a freshman, which coincidentally, or, not so, is the last time the Rams have made it to state.

The key to the Rams not winning this game was more likely than not in the sixth inning when Brittany Copenhaver singled and then Ashley Messmer smacked the ball on a line drive high arc way over first base and then looking to be over the head of the Lancers' right fielder, Shelly Donohue. But miraculously it almost looked like Donohue threw her hand up, mitt open, and the ball flew in it.

"That was going to have tied the game, at least," said Spadoi, with senior teammate, Amanda Clark right there agreeing.

Messmer was asked if she was fast.

"Yes, I am fast, I have speed, and that would have been a home run," she said.

But it was an out.

One other time the Rams had the chance to have made things interesting, as in sequence in the top of the fifth. First off, Kelly MacDonald fought off a couple Merlich fast pitches to earn a walk. Then Soderlind was out on a bunt, but it was a 'sacrifice' in the books because MacDonald moved to second on the play. Next, second base, Christie Loftus, who played well at second base for the Rams individually and by being part of the Loftus-Martinez combination that turned a nice double play in inning four, drew a walk. That meant runners at first and second with two outs, but with a good hitter, Martinez, up to bat.

She struck out.

"I guess it happens," said Martinez calmly. "I will have a million chances to do that in the future. I am confident that I will do better in that situation next time it comes around."

Spadoni agreed that Merlich made Martinez and others have troubles when the time was right for Merlich to do something or else.

"Every time she (Merlich) had a critical moment, she did it," said Spadoni.

She struck out one of the better hitters in the Seamount in Martinez.

"She struck out Sarah looking," said Clark, who did a good job at first base catching all the balls thrown her way. No errors from either side and great plays in substitution made for a fun, exciting, quality game to watch. On one line drive the Lancers' would-be hit of Davis, Martinez jumped high and in a sweeping arcing motion brought the ball out of the sky. Pretty, good, stuff.

The game came and went in one hour just about exactly while most games take closer to an hour and 30 minutes or so on average.

"It was fast paced and there was good defense on both sides," said Dino Josie, the Lancers head coach.

Soderlind did do a good job pitching for the Rams.