TACOMA — It was a roller coaster weekend for the Lady Vikings at the 2006 WIAA/Dairy Farmers of Washington 4A State Fastpitch Tournament. Then again, the entire season has been a fast-paced ride of ups and downs for North Kitsap.

Every step of the way, the Lady Vikes have locked in and stepped up in the face of adversity to overcome.

“There have been a lot of sacrifices for this year,” said NK senior Rachel Kramer, noting No. 2 pitcher Kendall Peiguss’ early season-ending injury, senior shortstop Coreena Stout’s recovery and Laurel Patton’s season-ending injury in the final game of the season. “We’ve come a long way. We always come back.”

The state tournament was a showcase for that NK resiliency May 26-27 at the SERA complex in Tacoma. It was also a chance for the Lady Vikes to prove that their seventh place finish in 2005 was no fluke.

The Vikings kicked off state competition in great form as they put together a shining game to beat Everett by a tally of 7-4.

Stout began the game for North at the plate with a triple in the first inning, then in the fourth North strung together four runs to take a 5-1 lead.

Everett bounced back to scare NK in the bottom of the fifth with three runs, but North’s defense remained solid, committing no errors in the contest.

But as the Vikings moved into the second round of play against the eventual champion Prairie Falcons, something was missing.

“I think the reason we let up in the second game is because we were a little too overconfident,” Kramer noted. “But then we realized that no one (was) just going to hand it to us.”

Prairie handed the Vikings a trip to the consolation bracket with a sour 4-0 loss May 25 in NK’s second game of the day.

With the loss, North was forced to play a third game that evening as they took on Inglemoor High School in a Vikings verse Vikings loser-out game.

“It’s not all about skill, it’s about heart. You have to dig deep and you have to want it,” Kramer, who pitched complete games in all four of North’s state contests, noted of the team’s mantra into the Friday night match up. “You should be able to walk off the field knowing that you gave it all.”

North gave IHS more than it could handle under the lights of the SERA complex, as once again the NK Viking defense took on the characteristics of a wall. North committed no mistakes in another superb performance and gained entry into the second day of play with a 2-1 nail-biter.

Stout was an instrumental leader as she hit 2-3 with two RBIs, while Jordan Jewett also helped the cause batting 2-3 and scoring both of NK’s runs with smart, decisive base running.

Kramer struck out the final Inglemoor batter in the bottom of the seventh inning to commence the last North jubilee of 2006.

In the Vikings final game at SERA May 26, Woodinville stole an 8-2 victory, but with another seventh-place finish in 2006, North earned respect.

The Lady Vikes will be losing five core seniors (Kramer, Stout, Melody Griffin, Lauren Romero and Shayla Urie) to graduation this year, but the lessons which they’ve taught by example — being the first NK class to earn post-season honors as sophomores juniors and seniors — will ultimately remain with the program.

“I’ve learned so much over the years with those girls, each one of them has taught me something different,” said NK junior first baseman Josie Ball. “The main thing I’ve learned is maturing and learning to brush off mistakes. Being a great ball player comes down to having that mental part (of the game.)”