Good times and performances were turned in, one last time, for area fastpitch seniors that came in and helped their team of three leagues in the Senior All-Star Challenge at Starfire in Tukwila Wednesday.

Softball fast pitchers from around here were Highline's Randi Dry, Kennedy's Dew Spadoni, and Mount Rainier's Kelly Parsons. All three enjoyed themselves in what was their last game in their respective high school uniforms, as all the players, from nine different 3A and 4A leagues, wore theirs as well.

The team all the young ladies from this area played on was the Seamount King and South Puget Sound League North & SPSL South. So, three leagues, one team. And, hence, for some, like Dry, it was friends seeing friends that they don't see during the league season since 4A of the SPSL don't meet 3A. And, it was more than that too.

"I actually got to play with a lot of people that I play against in select ball," said Dry, who plays along with Spadoni on the Sudden Impact summer league ASA (American Softball Association) team.

Teams from Lake Stevens to Olympia and Sammamish and out to North Kitsap in Silverdale all had teams. Four teams in all were combined from the nine leagues. The team of our players played against a Kingco/Metro 3A and 4A club, it was a good game that the foe won, 7-5.

But the second game was better, a 5-0 win over the all stars of the Wesco North/South and Northwest League which goes almost out to Bellingham.

Our players did well in that game, Dry had a RBI-single and Spadoni, a RBI-triple, and Kelly Parsons, depending on how you scored it, hit a home run. If it was a regular softball field, the ball would have sailed about 215 feet before hitting the ground.

A home run is 200 feet so that was what it was in that situation. In this situation, Parsons had to leg it out and did as the shortstop bobbled the relay from leftfield ever so slightly as Parsons rounded third and was therefore waved in by the all star coach from Auburn-Riverside.

"It was a middle inside pitch and I turned a little early but I hit it far," she said.

Far, far away.

Parsons' hit was the iciing on the cake of the win, capping the final run. Parsons also knocked in the first run of the game with a single.

What was this to Parsons, this grouping of seniors.

"A melting pot of the best players around," said Parsons. "It was finally good to play with them."

And against them?

"Yeah," she said. "I know a bunch from club ball."

So this was quite a picked group of talent, the kind that is ASA quality which is highest in this area.

Softball has been good to both Parsons, who was catcher on the 2004 fourth place 3A state team, and, Dry, who has played competitive softball as well as set the record for cumulative home runs at Highline in her four year career, including breaking the single-season record this year with her nine.

It's been good to others too, like Dry's grandfather.

"It's been good," said Conly Kerschnan, "We are retired so it's been fun to travel to see all the different places."

ASA softball is a high level as said and different venues like one was Oklahoma City said Kerschnan that was seen this past summer.

Spadoni, who saw her home run set off the scoring for a state Lancers championship, was approached by the PLU fastpitch head coach, Rick Noren after the second game win.

"That was cool," said Spadoni.

Noren sees a lot of talent out here, a lot is already committed, like Parsons to Bozeman and Montana State College.

"It is fun to come and see the players that haven't signed yet. It is a great event."

A showcase?

"Yep, for top athletes from the Puget Sound region," he said.

What about Spadoni?

"I can't talk about her, it is against the rules," he said. "But, we are looking for a catcher."

That's a good team to be looking at you. In Noren's time as coach --14 seasons now -- the Lutes have done well, being conference champion a handful of times, including getting to the national championship semifinal with a 31-0 record before dropping two straight to finish fourth in the national tournament.

So, this is just a great event for these young ladies to have some fun and show what they can do against high-level competition.

"Oh yes," said Spadoni. "Every girl out here was a solid player on their team, a hard worker. Everyone knew that everyone out here had talent and could do it."

Dew did it, so did Parsons, that is, play catcher, and, for the last time in their team unis.

"I'm sad," said Spadoni, a lively red-haired young lady with enough facial expression and verve and vocality out on the softball field, not to mention, off, one could mistake her for a drill sergeant. "I am sad saying this is it for my high school career."

Speaking of being a bit like Beetle Bailey's boss, Dew's mom, Deavonnie said, "She's always taken on that role of being in charge. But she wants to have fun too."

So what a fun, exciting career it was for the young fireball, Spadoni, and this was a nice reward for her. And, Spadoni had friends watching her like first base teammate Amanda Clark, a fellow senior.

"Yeah, I felt like I should support her," said Clark. "I've known Dew since I was four. I've known her my entire life."

And Parsons' Mount Rainier coach Angelique Porter was in attendance watching her prized pupil sign off on a great high school career.

"Lindsay Stickles and Katie Mills played in it," said Porter. And that is all you need to know really. Stickles, of course, pitched the Rams to fourth at state in '04 and Mills was on that team too, hitting the leather off the ball all tournament, not to mention all season, and, make that all her four seasons as a Ram.

"The last few years this tournament has gotten way bigger, which is good," said Porter.