MARYSVILLE In what promised to be a low-scoring affair, the M-P and Cascade fastpitch teams met April 11 and played at a simmer for five innings when suddenly both teams turned up the heat and a new game broke out.
The Tomahawks emerged with the 5-4 win, their fourth consecutive game decided by one run and their first conference win of the season.
A run by Skyler Peterson to start the second inning gave M-P a 1-0 lead, which it maintained for several innings on the strength of Miranda Rosebrooks pitching. The senior threw six strikeouts in the first four innings and seemed to step up under the pressure of runners on base. In the first inning, Rosebrook held off loaded bases by striking out Cascades next two batters, Breane Mattson and Alleyna Morales.
Later, in the fourth, she again stopped Cascade at second and third when she struck out Amanda VanDuren to end the inning.
Cascade finally evened the score in the fifth inning when back-to-back doubles from pitcher Brandi Klemm and Mattson got the Bruins on the board. In the top of the sixth, Cascade took the 2-1 lead as outfielder Taylor Pilkenton stole home, but the M-P defense held together in another bases-loaded scenario and quickly returned to the plate.
Off of RBIs from Peterson and Chrissy Atterson, the Tomahawks came back in the bottom of the sixth to go up 4-2.
A couple missed fly balls kept M-P from stopping Cascade runs and the Bruins tied the game again in the seventh inning as Mattson and Morales found home.
The Tomahawks had their fate in their own hands in the bottom of the seventh just one run would give them the win. The inning unfolded in dramatic fashion.
M-P outfielder Stephanie Starcevic got to first when her hit to midfield tangled in the feet of Cascades second baseman, only to be stopped at second.
Jessica Nielsen got on base in the next at bat, stealing second. Cascade answered by nabbing the second out, stopping Anna West at first.
Then designated hitter Michelle Newman came up.
Klemm threw one strike. Then another. Then, Newman watched patiently as Klemm threw three balls.
With two outs, full count and a runner on base, Newman swung at the next pitch. The grounder bounced past Klemm on its way to center right field and Nielsen ran in.
The Tomahawk dugout and fan base erupted.
The run brought the game to a close and the girls couldnt hide their smiles after the game.
Head coach KT Allyn commended the team for not giving up.
I think the fact that we lost three in a row by one run, it took confidence to come back against Cascade, and we did that, she said after the game. Our goal was to be disciplined offensively today, and we were in the box and on base.
Peterson finished 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. Newman, who had the game-winning RBI, was 2-for-4 with a run. Courtney Perrine had two runs and an RBI for the Tomahawks.

At M-PHS

Marysville 0 1 0 0 0 3 1 5
Cascade 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 4