Walking toward a tradition.

Kennedy step-by-step made an unbeatable run past all-comers at the WIAA 3A State Fastpitch Championships at the South End Recreation Area complex in Tacoma May 25-26.

This means the Lancers no longer are just top 10 in the state like the last two seasons, they are now not just traditionally getting to state now -- they are champions.

They beat everyone they faced, in all close games, starting off with a usual comer to state, Issaquah, 2-1.

Speaking of one, that was...

"Step one," said Dino Josie, after that opening game victory.

It was almost a move that never happened. Let's give credit where credit is due. Ace pitcher Karli Merlich pitched her usual solidness, striking out 10, walking zero, with a nice half-and-half assortment of ground balls and fly balls induced for talented fielders to make the plays.

Senior first baseman Amanda Clark, caught all of the balls thrown to her from teammates Peggy Mathison, a junior at shortstop, and Brittany Montgomery, a senior at second, and, Ashley Davis, a freshman at third.

The defense was solid in the first game versus Issaquah with no errors. The hitting was just enough, starting in the first inning for the Lancers as Merlich drew a walk. Montgomery then singled her in to make it 1-0.

That was a big hit by Montgomery. It likely helped give her team confidence early on at state. Montgomery simply said, "It was what started our hitting."

And what else did Montgomery's hit prove?

"That she (the Issaquah pitcher) was hittable," she said.

The Eagles tied it in the bottom of one, a lucky looper lead off hit over second base followed by a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to second and then an RBI double made it 1-1.

Not wasting anytime, Kennedy scored in the bottom of the second. Dew Spadoni singled and Clark bunted to move Spadoni and it worked. Runners first and third, no outs. Then Merlich drew a walk, a second time intentionally actually, and the bases were loaded. It was time for Maggie Whaley to do something next, if she could. Oh yes, she could, hitting a chopper over the first baseman's outstretched glove to score what would end up being the game-winning RBI.

Whaley did a lot more than just hit well, too. Fast-forward now to the top of the seventh where an Eagles looper hit perfectly over second and into shallow center field looked to start them off with do-or-die momentum. Looked. Whaley charged in and dove headfirst for the ball.

"I had to make a leap of faith," said Whaley, a junior Lancer who swung a quick bat all tournament long.

Whaley made the catch and Merlich did the rest. Two srikeouts and the game was over. Half of Merlich's 10 strikeouts were accomplished in the last two innings -- three in the sixth, and two in the seventh.

It that gold catch from Whaley, with errorless defense, and "Karli, Karli, Karli, after that" as Josie put it, that had Josie letting these girls know that they opened up against a traditionally strong state fastpitch team and did what they had to do.

"You've learned it, you've learned it, you've learned it," Josie said, speaking to all the girls in a huddle after the game. "It comes down to one run. That was the difference, your composure. And, you know what, the softball gods notice those things."

The girls all laughed.

"That was a a great catch by Maggie, Josie then said. "The game was 2-1...and I know it is a cliche but we are in it to win it."

The girls left then ready to go on to game two. In it, the Lancers played a much better North Central Indians team than the Spokane school's 16-4 record stated. True, that record was good, but four of the Indians' four losses were to 4A school's, including two of them to 4A state champ this season, Shadle Park.

The word "destiny" had to come to mind for those following the Lancers, and, the Indians for that matter as it came down to the very end to decide things. But first, the beginning. North Central finally broke the scoring ice in the top of the fifth with a leadoff walk followed by a couple K's from Merlich and a chopper, putting Indians at first and third base. And then the Indians scored, on an unfortunate Lancers error, about the only one the Lancers committed all tournament long, as Dew Spadoni threw to second base thinking Mathison was coming over to cut off the throw and maybe that would fake out the runner on third into thinking they would have time to steal home. Well, it faked out someone, but it was the Lancers who were faked out of a run, so to speak, and the Indians led, 1-0, through five.

"That was me, my fault," said Spadoni, after the game.

Spadoni, let's note, was rock-solid behind the plate, not letting any of Merlich's pitches get by her where a runner could steal the base. And Merlich throws hard, note too. Anyway, about Spadoni, the senior captain of the Lancers, had a chance to redeem herself in the bottom of the seventh with the score still Indians 1 , Lancers O. Spadoni led off the inning with a single up the middle. Next batter struck out but the next beat out a grounder chopped to the pitcher, who bobbled it a second and that was all the time pinch-hitter Ashley Engel, a junior, needed to get to first. A good hustle play, and, the Lancers had many of them for sure. So, runners at first and second base, one out and Jaime Yellam up to bat. Yellam bashed the ball into right field, scoring Spadoni. 1-1. Then, Mathison came up to bat and she did what Josie wanted her to do, hitting the ball to first base enough for Engel to speed into home to score and make the fans cheer and the players say things like "Jaime, Jaime, Jamie" in a chant.

Spadoni was kind of surprised Mathison could do what she did, saying it a little tongue-in-cheek but seriously.

"Huge," said Spadoni of Mathison, whom she miscommunicated with on that throw that Mathison did not get over in time to cut off the ball as it sailed into center. "I thought she was too mad at me to hit the ball. It (the ball) probably had my face on it."

Yellam was asked what she heard after the game, the 'Jaime, Jaime, Jaime' chant, for instance.

"The only thing I could hear was my hearbeat," she said.

Mathison's game-winning RBI was some hit, especially in her coach's eyes, when asked which hit was the most important in this game of big hits at the end.

"I would have to say, Peggy's," said Josie. "Driving the ball to the right side, that was a great piece of situational hitting."

Spadoni was laughing some as she said that. This team just plays well together and gets over things that hurt or accepts responsibility and it is a good reason why they took the second step successfully.

The third step came against Sammamish, a team that had only lost three league games this past season, all by 1-0 scores. Sammamish also compiled the second most runs of the tournament, 149 scored, only outdone by one other 3A team, the Lancers, 155. Also, to note, Merlich pitching most all games, had only 24 runs scored on them all season -- tops in the tournament too.

But the Sammamish game three would not be a scorefest, it would be the Lancers' defense that would win this one along with timely hitting and Merlich's continuing strong pitching.

Scoring in the bottom of the second, Kennedy would get the only run they would need to win this one. Whaley singled up the middle to left center before Davis was hit by a pitch and a Yellam RBI single made it 1-0.

Then, it stayed that way only for an inning later as the Lancers scored an insurance run in the bottom of the third on a Merlich leadoff walk and an Amanda Clark bunt and a Montgomery single to give the Lancers a 2-1 lead with Montgomery driving in Merlich.

Afterward, Clark was asked what it was with bunting. Sammamish tried two, three times to get something going with the bunt and could not. How could she do it, and, not in just this game, Clark bunted two, three times in the tournament to help her team sustain momentum or just get runners on the bases.

Is it hard to bunt?

"No, I love to bunt. A lot don't like it, but it is my favorite part to do," said Clark. "I'm slow, but I like to get the bunt down. Clark laughed then. But it was serious business, that bunting of Clark's. It helped her team get leads or just fluster pitchers during this state tourney.

"That is such a huge part of this game, the short game," said Josie.

And other things are huge too. Like Merlich, like the Lancers' defense, infield and outfield, and also the catcher, Spadoni, received Kudos by Josie.

"Dew calls a great game for us from behind the plate," said Josie. "If you have a good pitcher, you need a great catcher and we have that in Spadoni."

The Lancers had all of it, whatever 'it' was going for them at state. And they were 'it' in the end, taking the stairway up, step by step.