TACOMA — For the first time since 1985, M-P has sent a softball team to the state tournament comprised of players with no state tourney experience because M-P hadn’t missed the tourney three years in a row.
When Friday morning arrived, most of the players said they had a hard time falling asleep the night before — they were just too excited to sleep. It was just as exciting for the parents, too, who all lined up to buy sweatshirts and t-shirts for themselves to show off the experience of being at their first state tournament.
After warming up, the girls were ready for their first game against Rogers of Puyallup. After their pre-game warm up and louder-than-usual school fight song, they took the field.
The battery of freshman pitcher Riley Fritz and junior catcher Courtney Perrine was working just like it has been all year long — Perrine throwing down the signs and Fritz hitting her spots 1-2-3 inning after inning.
Marysville struck first in the fourth inning when freshman slugger Megan Rollings hit a double to right center. Then Skyler Peterson ripped a single by the second baseman and Rollings came around to score. That would be the Tomahawks last chance to score.
Rogers came back in the sixth inning and compiled three hits in a row to take the lead 2-1, which would be the final.
Now with no chance for first or second place in the tournament, they moved into the consolation bracket and got ready to play Central Valley from Spokane. Marysville struck in the third when Jessica Tanigawa had a base hit and stole second.
Anna West had a great sacrifice bunt and Rollings stepped up and came through with a sharp single to score Tanigawa, making it 1-0. The Tomahawks struck again in the seventh when West singled, advanced to second base on a Jenifer Rosie sac bunt and scored on a single by Peterson making it 2-0 which would be the final.
Fritz threw a two-hitter, only allowing one player to reach second base and had 11 strikeouts.
By 7 p.m. on the opening day, M-P got ready for its match up with Wilson. The game’s first score came when Anna West had a sharp single and was sacrificed to second base by Jennifer Rosie. Skyler Peterson hit a double to the fence, scoring West. Marysville scored again when Courtney Perrine drew a lead-off walk and was sacrificed to second on a bunt laid down by Marissa Lewis. She was driven in by Jessica Tanigawa, making it 2-0.
With three outs to go in the bottom of the seventh, Wilson started their comeback with a walk to lead off the inning. Fritz got the next hitter to fly out to shortstop Kristina Sherriff, but the next Wilson batter had a base hit and with two outs, the final blow came when Wilson’s catcher had a sharp line drive up the middle.
Anna West had a great throw home but just after the winning run had crossed the plate.
With that, the Tomahawks’ run in the state tournament was over.
After the game Coach KT Allyn called the girls out to the outfield to tell them all how proud she was of her team.
As a parent with a daughter that will be a senior next year, I would be lying if I didn’t have the end of February 2009 already marked on my calendar for another year of Tomahawk softball.
The parents of this year’s team would like to thank coach KT Allyn, coach “Q” and Mike Rosebrook for bringing back that exciting, hard-nosed softball that Marysville has been used to for so many years.
Thank you for a very exciting and unforgettable year.
