TACOMA - "Tough As Nails" proclaimed the wording on the t-shirts of John F. Kennedy High School supporters.

On Saturday, May 26, the Kennedy Lancers girls fastpitch softball team, behind the pitching of Texas Tech-bound Karli Merlich, shutout the Capital Cougars of West Olympia, 6-0, to live up to this maxim and seize the 2007 Washington state Class 3A championship.

"Our team motto is 'tough as nails'," announced Lancer head coach Dino Josie about his team's determined drive to the title at the South End Recreation Area. "And they were really as tough as nails. When the pressure was on, they really stood up."

Kennedy began the tournament with two one-run wins in the first round before a two-run victory in Saturday morning's semifinal match up to reach the championship round.

For three innings late Saturday afternoon, crafty left-handed hurlers Merlich and the Cougars' Krista Shannon baffled batters through three consecutive shutout innings before Merlich reached base on a one-out infield error and advanced to second base on a passed ball in the top of the fourth. Brittany Montgomery followed with a single through the middle before stealing second base.

Two missed attempts to lay down a sacrifice bunt left catcher Dew Spadoni behind in the count at 1-2. On the next Shannon offering, the Lancer senior rocketed the ball off her bat for a 3-run homer over the fence in left center field.

"All week, I've been antsy, wanting to get a hit," a nearly breathless Spadoni exclaimed. "When I got the pitch, I hit it. At first, I thought I popped it up. Then I looked up and it was still going. It didn't even slow down. I couldn't breathe afterwards."

Merlich took over from that point, escaping a trio of Cougar threats.

"Our mantra is always three runs," Josie said. "...Karli hasn't given up three earned runs all year, maybe, so we knew we had a good opportunity."

In the fourth inning, the Cougars got two runners on second and third with two out, but a Merlich strikeout settled that issue.

Capital put its first two batters on base in the fifth inning before a fielder's choice ground out and two consecutive strikeouts closed out that opportunity.

Once again in the sixth, the Cougars tried to corral Merlich by advancing runners to second and third with no outs. Two consecutive strikeouts from the Lancer ace and an induced ground out to first base unassisted rang down the curtain on Capital's final threat.

Marvelous Merlich, a junior, lined a two-run triple down the right-field line in the JFK seventh, then scored on a fielder's choice by Brittany Montgomery for the game's final tally.

Capital went down in order in the seventh, culminated by third baseman Ashley Davis's snaring of a foul line drive. This set off players and coaches hugging, crying, and praising each other as team captains Spadoni and Montgomery dug up home plate for a souvenir. Josie was bathed with ice water as his reward.

Finishing with 13 strikeouts, Merlich allowed four singles walked two in a route-going performance. She added a 2-for-3 batting day with a walk.

"This was awesome," stated Merlich. "I just love her (Spadoni) to death. I knew she'd get it done, no matter what. I knew she'd get me home (in the fourth). Everything was working, my fastball, change up and curve ball."

Josie paid tribute to his star pitcher and his entire squad.

"She (Merlich) is at her best when the pressure's on," he said, "My line to the girls is 'you can't make a diamond without pressure.' It's the pressure that makes you shine.'"

Several players shared their excitement.

"All these teams we beat helped us," said Peggy Mathison. "If you don't play good teams you won't be able to be as good. To be the best, you've got to beat the best.

Hard work also factored into the success.

"We worked so hard and never gave up on each other," Montgomery

gleefully shouted. "We're champions, now."

Even after the glorious game had ended, Spadoni still had trouble believing what happened.

"I can't even describe it," said the senior catcher, as she and her teammates celebrated the title. "I can't even comprehend that we're No. 1. Like. We're the best."

As the joyous celebration continued, an emotionally drained coach Josie reflected upon the years spent forming the framework for Saturday's historic victory.

"The foundation was built in all the earlier years when we didn't have the pitching and had to win games 13-11," he concluded. "We just flat out outscored people. Now, when I've got the pitching and defense, these girls know how to play tight games...in the pressure of a game. This whole tournament was just incredible. These girls just stepped up."

Stepping up strongly for the 2007 Washington state Class 3A high school champions were Malissa Kinimaka, Brittany Montgomery, Tracy Hughes, Maggie Whaley, Amanda Clark, Jessica Lewis, Peggy Mathison, Shelley Donohoe, Lindsay O'Connell, Dew Spadoni, Jaime Yellam, Emily Lockett, Ashley Davis, Karli Merlich and Ashley Engel.

Josie's assistant coaches were Mike Trautman, Jim Perkins, Bridgett Hughes and Anna Tremper.

The Kennedy athletic director was Bob Bourgette.