Marysville-Pilchuck softball team survives rain, Everett

Published 12:21 am Wednesday, April 7, 2010

MARYSVILLE — Mother Nature made it clear she did not want the Marysville-Pilchuck and Everett to get in their scheduled softball game on Tuesday afternoon.

Jessica Christensen showed Mother Nature.

The Tomahawks sophomore lined an RBI single into left-center field in the bottom of the seventh inning, scoring Haley Fritz from second base and lifting M-P to a 7-6 win over the Seagulls. The hit came off Everett’s Lexie Levin, who just happens to be one of Christensen’s best friends.

Christensen was asked after the game if Levin still will be talking to her. “Yeah … hopefully,” she answered with a smile.

The fact that Christensen even got the opportunity to win the game was a surprise because of an earlier downpour and subsequent delay. Heavy rain halted play nearly 20 minutes in the bottom of the third inning, sending players scurrying to the dugouts for shelter with the score was tied 2-2. The rain continued off and on for the remainder of the game after the restart.

“They (the umpires) were very close,” to calling the game, Tomahawks coach KT Allyn said later. Lucky for her, and the rest of the Tomahawks team, they didn’t.

The weather didn’t make things easy on either team, though. The rain created a muddy mess of the infield and the ball appeared to slip out of many of the girls’ hands at points during the game. The infield was in such bad shape that a bunt attempt by Christensen in the bottom of the fourth inning left the ball stuck in the mud in front of home plate.

“The weather was a factor in this game, and it was important to play through it,” Allyn said.

Christensen certainly played through it. Her bunt attempt that stuck in the mud was the only time she was retired in the game. She batted 3-for-4, including her game-winning RBI, and she also scored a run for the Tomahawks.

Everett was the first team to overcome the weather conditions when the Seagulls scored two runs in the top of the fifth inning. Junior catcher Anna Hudson popped a single over the first baseman that landed just inside the foul line with the bases loaded, scoring Chloe Kesterson. Bailee Wetmore followed with a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Lauren Kesterson to give the Seagulls a 4-2 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Fritz came to the plate for the Tomahawks and grounded to the shortstop, who threw to second base for the force out of Megan Rollings. The call, however, was questionable and Allyn challenged. After a lengthy conversation between the two umpires, the call was overturned and Rollings was allowed to go back to second base.

“It was a momentum turner,” Allyn said. “It’s the difference between having a runner on one (first base) and two out, or having one out and a runner in scoring position.”

M-P made the most of it. Morgan Martinis followed with an RBI single, and later in the inning, Jordyn Nickolson also hit an RBI single to tie the score 4-4. Levin walked in two more runs before finally retiring the Tomahawks, giving M-P a 6-4 lead going into the final inning.

Everett showed its resilience by tieing the score again in the top of the seventh on Chailah Formon’s hit a two-run double down the left field line.

That set the stage for Christensen in the bottom of the seventh.

“They were patient, waiting on the pitches they wanted to hit. That paid off, particularly for Jessica,” Allyn said of her players.

Everett and Marysville were both undefeated in league going into Tuesday’s game.

“It’s not just a win, it’s a win against a really good team,” Allyn said. “The Wesco North is pretty competitive. I don’t think there is anyone that is going to go through and crush everyone. Wins will have to be earned.”

Overcoming the weather and an Everett team that never gave up is something that will surely help the Tomahawks as the season goes on.

“It’s what you go back to mentally when you are in a pressure situation,” Allyn said. “You have that to go back to because today we pulled it out.”

At Marysville-Pilchuck H.S.

Everett2000202—6101

M-P2000041—7102

Levin and Hudson. R. Fritz and Christensen. WP—R. Fritz (4-1). LP—Levin. 2B—Rollings (M-P), Buck (M-P), Hudson (E), Foreman (E). 3B—Levine (E). Records—Everett 3-1 league, 6-2 overall. M-P 4-0, 5-2.