The Mount Si softball team went to the Washington Fastpitch Festival at the University of Washington in Seattle last Saturday, March 27, with the hope of making their first visit to the showcase event a memorable one.

But offensive miscues ended up costing Mount Si at critical times in the game, and the Wildcats dropped their second contest in the last three.

Despite a 2-4 day by sophomore Maura Murphy and a solid day on the mound by junior Alex Johnson, mistakes on the basepaths were key as the Wildcats fell 3-2 to the Centralia Tigers in a game which only lasted six innings due to a 90-minute time limit on the contest.

Wildcat coach Larry White knew the girls were taking this game seriously.

“It’s all business,” White said. “They’re taking it as a great opportunity — who wouldn’t want to play on a national champion’s home field — but they’re taking it as just another game.”

Mount Si opened the scoring in the top of the first off Centralia starter Erika Brower. Sophomore Maura Murphy hit a single with two strikes, then after a passed ball scored from third on a Brielle Buhner single. Junior Danielle Massengill hit a two-out double to put pressure on Brower and the rest of the Tigers, but Carly Weidenbach fouled out to catcher Molly Hull to end the inning. The Tiger bats went to work in the bottom of the frame. Lauren Liseth tripled, then a groundout to third by Jenny Milton scored Liseth to tie things at 1-1.

It remained this way until the third, when the senior struck again, singling then stealing second base. A groundout by freshman Parker Pocklington scored Liseth and gave the Tigers the lead 2-1.

Mount Si had rallies in both the third and fourth, but was unable to convert either opportunity. After loading the bases with one out in the third, a Massengill strikeout and Weidenbach flyout to short ended that rally, then in the fourth, another chance to score was snuffed out on a Murphy double-play lineout to second; the second out came when Johnson was picked off first base on that play.

Mount Si broke through in the fifth, with a bases loaded single by Weidenbach which scored freshman Lauren Smith. But Buhner killed that rally by being picked off third base by Hull for the final out.

Then it was Liseth again making noise in the bottom of the frame, as she singled, then reached third on a Milton fielder’s choice. Pocklington then singled to score Liseth one more time, then Brower did the rest in the top of the sixth, taking care of Johnson, Kassidy Maddux and Murphy to seal the contest.

Buhner hoped this experience would be memorable for her teammates.

“I want this to be a game where they look back and it’s what they remember about their high school (career),” she said.

White would like to make this a tradition similar to the Mount Si baseball team’s goal with their Safeco Field game, but the chances of that appear remote.

“It’d be really good if we could. But it’s kind of an invite thing, so I don’t know if it’s possible or not,” the coach said.

vite thing, so I don’t know if it’s possible or not,” the coach said.