Grit earns fastpitch a win

MARYSVILLE While phrases like "we wanted it more" are commonplace high school sports, the Tomahawk fastpitch team put forth an uncommon effort against Arlington to secure their second league win.

From freshman pitcher Riley Fritz's seven strikeouts in just over four innings to senior first baseman Skyler Peterson's dives into the dirt to grab two Arlington bunts out of the air, M-P outplayed Arlington in a defensive duel April 9.

Fritz and sophomore pitcher Jen Rosie combined to throw a four-hitter and the Tomahawk defense backed them up, leaving Arlington stranded on base six times.

"They are one of the few teams that have held us almost at second base," said Arlington coach Dan Eng, crediting M-P for the 2-0 win.

Until the bottom of the seventh, the game remained tied and the Tomahawk pitching effort in a virtual draw against the one put forth by Arlington junior Christina Rayner.

After a fifth-inning slug ended in the glove of Arlington left fielder Jocelynn Probert, senior Anna West made good on the promise of that attempt with a base hit.

As if they already knew what was to come, the hit elicited cheers from the Tomahawk faithful.

After getting out twice earlier at first base, designated hitter Marissa Lewis came up with the critical hit, an RBI home run to deep center field that brought the game to an abrupt end.

"Did you funnel your frustration from your first two at bats?" M-P coach KT Allyn asked Lewis after the game.

"Yeah!" she responded, still a little breathless with excitement. "I was really focused and ready to hit the ball."

In addition to the winning runs by West and Lewis, senior co-captain Chrissy Atterson batted 3-for-3 with a double against Rayner.

"I feel like we were very focused," Atterson said. "We wanted it more than them."

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.