"See you at Safeco."

That was the battle cry that Federal Way players and faithful shared the most as they celebrated a 12-6 win over Kamiak and a 6-5 victory over Redmond to sweep the Kent regional tournament at Kent Memorial Park and advance to the state final four starting Friday.

The Eagles open with a 4 p.m. game against Kentwood at the Seattle Mariners' home field with the retractable roof and they will be gunning for a win and a berth into the championship game for 7 p.m. Saturday.

"We're going to Safeco and that's all I've got to say," said Federal Way head coach Danny Graham after the Saturday, May 22 victories.

"That was awesome. All year long we've been battling back and battling back. Our goal was just to get back into the playoffs."

But oh how things have changed since the Eagles were struggling out of starting gate.

"We were in last place at the beginning of the year and made an amazing run at the end of the year,"
Graham said.

Graham hopes the change over the year in the team's favor continues to pay off, including against South Puget Sound League North Division rival Kentwood.

"They smashed us twice this year," Graham said. "But we're a much different team than we were last time."

The winning and Safeco-clinching victory over Redmond was tied at 5-5 going into the seventh inning, but the Eagles changed that.

Darian Moran hit a one out single and stole second, and starting and winning pitcher T.J. Horsfall looped a two out single over the Redmond first baseman for the game-winning hit.

"You hit a million shots and get out, and then you get a check swing," said Graham. "And you have guys like Moran who gets three hits in the game and on the day five hits."

Austin Weber then took over on the mound in the bottom of the inning and shut Redmond out.

After giving up a leadoff walk Weber picked off the runner, then got the second out on a grounder to third base. Shortstop Nick Tanielu than speared a sinking line drive to end it, and the Eagles piled up on the pitcher's mound in celebration.

It was the fourth save of the year earned by Weber.

"He doesn't throw hard, but he gets outs," Graham said.

Elliot Morris went the distance on the mound in the Kamiak game to get the win.

Federal Way opened with two runs in the bottom of the first against Kamiak, when Drew Cratsenberg walked ahead of a triple to the fence in right center by Tanielu. Morris lofted a sacrifice fly to center to bring in Tanielu.

Kamiak picked up an unearned run in the top of the third, but Federal Way scored six in the bottom of the inning. Cratsenberg singled, advanced on a passed ball and scored on another base hit by Tanielu. Weber singled Tanielu all the way to third where he could score on a passed ball. Weber advanced to second on the same catching miscue, and came around when Brett Evans hit into an error.

Beck, Moran, Adam Yunker and Horsfall all singled in order to bring in three more runs.

Beck doubled to open a three-run rally in the fifth inning. Moran and Yunker singled to bring him in, but Moran was thrown out going for third on Yunker's hit.

No matter, as Horsfall hit a two-run home run out to left to bring in two runs and make the score 11-2.

Morris singled and scored on singles by Evans and Beck to make it 12-2.

Kamiak scored four in the top of the seventh to bring the final score to 12-6.

Tanielu gave Federal Way a 1-0 early lead in the first inning of the second game when he singled and scored on a Weber double. Redmond scored the next three, but Morris walked, advanced on an Evans single and scored on a Moran double in the fourth.

Redmond scored twice in the bottom of the fourth to lead, 5-2, but the Eagles rallied for three in the fifth to tie it with the help of singles by Cratsenberg, Weber and Moran and by a Tanielu double.

Federal Way then won it on Horsfall's bloop hit and Austin's pitching in the seventh.

Tanielu hit 3-for-3 with a triple, a double and a single in the second game and 3-for-3 with a double in the first game.