It was smooth sailing for Thomas Jefferson after the Raiders got past a tough game against crosstown rival Todd Beamer.

The Raiders edged the Titans, 8-7, in a loser-out game Tuesday morning and then ran away with a loser-out, winner-to-state game against Central Kitsap, 10-5, immediately thereafter.

TJ advances to the state tournament Friday at the South End Recreation Area in Tacoma.
It will be the Raiders' third trip to state out of four years.

"Three out of four, that says something," said a pleased TJ head coach Chad Fahnlander. "We had a chance yesterday and didn't get it done. We talked a lot about getting things done."

Freshman Katie Jackson got a lot done as the pitcher for the Raiders on a youthful team.

"We've got a very young team and we made young mistakes out there," Fahnlander said after the West Central District games played at Sprinker Recreation Area in Spanaway.

The team advances as the district's No. 5 seed to state out of a tournament that was shortened by rain fall -- sometimes very hard rain fall.

Most of the tournament was played Monday and Tuesday instead of Friday and Saturday.

But rain did not stop the Raiders on the final day of action Tuesday.

Jefferson jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Beamer.

Christi Braun singled with two out and Lexi Goranson walked to set the stage for a two-run double to deep right center.

Two more runs were tacked on for TJ in the third. Hannah Kiyohara singled to lead it off and Allie Crowe hit into an error at third base to advance Kiyohara. A wild pitch scored Kiyohara and moved Crowe to third, where a grounder by Braun could score her.

Beamer cut into the 4-0 lead by scoring one in the bottom of the third. Sarah Petosa singled and advanced to third on an errant throw, then scored on a fly ball to second. Taylor Winton tripled over the center fielder's head after that, but was stranded by a strikeout and a short out to the catcher, Braun, who lunged forward to snag the ball before it hit the plate.

The Titans closed the gap to 4-3 with two runs in the fifth. Sami Sunitsch hit a leadoff single and Emma Blauser walked ahead of an RBI single by Winton. Blauser tagged and scored on a Courtney Taylor fly to center.

The Raiders scored four more in the sixth with the help of a two-run double by Alex Rodriguez, then held on as the Titans rallied for four in the bottom of the inning.

Naomi Lee ripped a leadoff double and and went to third on a base hit by by Jenna Floyd. Sunitsch followed with a walk and Petosa singled in Lee. Blauser singled home Sunitsch and Winton singled home Petosa. Blauser tried to score on the play but was called out on a close play at the plate.

Groshke walked after that but was thrown out at second on a grounder. Halle Colson then flew out to end the threat.

TJ stranded runners on second and third in the top of the seventh and final inning, then Jackson turned her pitching up a notch in the bottom of the inning to preserve a Raider win. She struck out the first two batters, walked Sunitsch and got out of the inning on a grounder.

The ensuing Central Kitsap game was a different story. The Cougars scored two in the bottom of the first before the Raiders rallied for 10 runs in the top of the second.

Cass Denaele tripled in two runs in the inning, with Kiyohara and Goranson doubling in two apiece.

Alexis Keys and Reno Whitcomb both hit two singles in the rally and Crowe laid down two bunt singles. Rodriguez started it all off with a single.

Jackson won again on the mound for the Raiders after shutting Central Kitsap down after the Cougars scored two in the bottom of the second. Jackson finished with five strikeouts and the game ended on a second to shortstop to first double play.

"It's like the best feeling ever," said Jackson of the win and the clinched trip to state.