30 up, 30 down - and back-to-back perfect games for Peninsula ace softball pitcher Alli Kimball

Peninsula High School's Alli Kimball was in the mood for tacos Tuesday night.

It was fitting. She was the one providing the hot sauce - from the softball circle

The odds of throwing one perfect game are as slim as being hit by lightning. To toss back-to-back perfect games is pure insanity.

"This is definitely been my best season so far," Kimball said. "From the first game, I only threw 4-5 innings, but I had a no-hitter. From that point on, I had a new confidence, and carried into every game."

The Seahawks have followed suit with a 14-1 record, and are ranked No. 9 in SBLive WA's latest softball rankings in Class 3A.

On Friday, they had a 3A South Sound Conference game at playoff hopeful Central Kitsap in Silverdale.

Before the game, as Kimball was warming up her arm, Peninsula coach Mike Paul told her she was going to hurl a perfect game.

"I had that goal," Kimball said.

And in the team's 11-0 win, she went five innings (because of WIAA mercy rule). She did not give up a hit. She did not walk a batter. And she struck out 10 hitters on 49 pitches.

"She never got deeper than a two-ball count," Paul said.

Four days later, Kimball faced the same Central Kitsap lineup. And it was obvious the Cougars were ready for the junior's electric rise ball.

"Against that first batter, it was an eight-pitch at-bat," Kimball said. "They were more up front (of home plate) and timing that pitch better."

So, Kimball said she went more to her curve ball. And it worked seamlessly.

Again, Peninsula won in five innings - 14-0. Kimball struck out 11 on 58 pitches, including 52 for strikes.

And yet, it was the perfect game that almost never happened.

With the playoffs approaching, Paul's original plan was to let Kimball pitch three innings before getting other pitchers some work.

After the fourth inning, he was ready to take her out. And he was met with immediate defiance from his coaching staff and ace pitcher.

"They were losing their minds," Paul said. "It was terrible coaching."

In that final inning, Kimball took care of quickly, getting three outs on nine pitches - all strikeouts.

For the season, Kimball is 9-1 with an 0.55 earned-run average. She has a total of 135 strikeouts in 64 innings, giving up just six walks and four extra-base hits.

Kimball also recently just gave a verbal pledge to Western Washington University.

"I am ecstatic how everything has been going," Kimball said. "I just committed to college, and that put a lot more pep in my step."

(Featured photo by Pete Caster/The (Tacoma) News Tribune)