By Gerardo Bolong

SPANAWAY - For want of key hits, the Kennedy Catholic softball team suffered in a 7-4, 10-inning opening game of the Class 3A West Central/Southwest bi-district tournament loss to Columbia River on May 24 at the Sprinker Recreation Center field.

"Columbia River is a very good team and well coached," said JFK coach Dino Josie. "We had 11 runners left on base and could not get key hits in the late innings. On our suicide squeeze in the seventh (with runners on second and third with no outs), our batter laid it down perfectly. They just made an exceptional play (of pitcher to catcher)."

With the international tie-breaker rule of having each team begin its at bat with a runner already on second base starting with the ninth inning, each team had its opportunities by advancing runners as far as third base. Maggie Harshaw's run-scoring double in the top of the tenth inning ignited a four-run Columbia River Chieftain rally that settled the issue.

The lancers fought back in the home at bat to score one run and had two runners on base, but simply were not able to produce more hits.

Two hits by the River added to Lancer fielding miscues in a 2-run Chieftain first inning. Kennedy tied the score with two runs in the home half of the fourth inning. Samantha Isernio drilled a lead off double ahead of two consecutive strikeouts. Delaney Cox tripled home a run and scored when the next batter, Haley Kormanik singled off the pitcher's mitt.

The Lancers gained the lead in the next inning, starting with Maggie Gallagher's grounder that became a two base error. Sierra Bains then drilled a single to set up Isernio's hard hit, RBI single that sent KC into a 3-2 lead.

Teaghan Cowles' RBI in the seventh inning tied the score at 3-3. This lasted until the deciding 10th inning action.