As she left the softball complex last Saturday, Rosie Matsumoto rubbed her right arm, stretched it out in a windmill motion and sighed.

That arm will get a deserved rest after the Inglemoor High senior pitched three full games in the 4A state tournament at SERA Fields in Tacoma. However, Matsumoto and her Viking fastpitch teammates were gunning for one more game — the championship contest — but Kelso knocked the locals out of the tourney in the semifinals with a 3-1 victory. Inglemoor (22-5) finished tied for third place with Walla Walla in a tourney that was rained out on Friday and played entirely on Saturday.

The 4A Kingco champs defeated Thomas Jefferson, 8-6, and Kamiakan, 1-0, to reach the semis against the eventual champion.

“It was an incredible year and they played great defense, they hit the ball really well and they did a lot of very positive things,” said Viking coach Jeff Skelly. “And the seniors, I just couldn’t be more proud of them (with their) senior leadership and how they responded. They’re gonna be greatly missed … it was a special group of seniors.”

Kelso scored in the bottom of the first inning, and Inglemoor tied it up in the second on singles by Taylor Peacocke, Jenna Rutherford and a Lindsey Porter bunt that drew an errant throw to first and scored Peacocke. Kelso’s Britt Sanders belted a two-run home run to right field to put Kelso up 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth to pave the road to victory.

“That game could have gone either way,” Peacocke said. “Honestly, we were the hottest team here, we won something like 10 in a row. (But) nobody expected us to be here, and we got here and proved them all wrong.

“We just peaked at the right time. Everyone just came together and we could have fallen apart at any time.”

Against Thomas Jefferson, Peacocke hit a two-run homer and scored two runs, Kaylee Hardin had a single and a double and Shelby Johnston singled and scored two runs.

In the Kamiakin win, Amy Taylor’s single scored Porter from second in the second inning. Matsumoto allowed just four hits.

Defensively, center fielder Rutherford and right fielder Kylie Acacio made crucial catches against Kelso and third baseman Peacocke made two diving stabs in the early games for outs — one for a double play.

Following the Kelso game, Skelly told the players he was proud of their accomplishments, he said.

“This team is the most fun I’ve ever had in my life,” Peacocke added. “Everything about it: the intense practices, but they were also fun. I looked forward to practice every day. And nobody ever fought, everyone got along.”

When told that an opposing player praised Inglemoor’s team for its unity while the Vikings sang “I Will Survive” before the Kelso game, Skelly smiled.

“Hopefully every year we’re gonna have a team that gets along really well and is peaking, and Inglemoor’s done that quite a few times and that’s what makes it fun to coach,” Skelly said.

* In 1A action, Cedar Park Christian dropped two straight games (11-1 to Connell and 6-3 to Cascade) to exit the state tournament at TRAC Fields in Pasco.