By Gerardo Bolong

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

COVINGTON - In a long day's journey into night, the Mount Rainier fastpitch softball team completed 14 innings of play at the Kent Service Club Community Ball Fields with a drawn out, seven inning 15-12 victory against Auburn Mountainview.

The NPSL 4A tournament win eliminated the Lions and qualified the young Rams for a May 14 play in game to West Central/Southwest bi-district.

Mt. Rainier (10-9) moved into a Fri., May 10, battle for seeds 8 and 10.

"After the tough loss (against Beamer), we could have gone flat, but the girls kept working," said MRHS head coach Bret Christianson. "Our pitcher pitched 14 innings and kept us in the games. In the heat, it gets harder , and we could have fielded better to close it out."

For Auburn Mountainview, Adriana Lomell-Smith sailed a first inning solo home run over the left field barrier to put the Lions on top immediately. 

Angie Thompson's RBI infield ground out added another Lion run in the third inning.

Finally answering the bell, the Ram offense kicked into gear in the bottom of the frame starting on a Bryana Jenkins  stand up double. Molly McCabe set down a sacrifice bunt, advancing Jenkins to third base. On an attempted pick off of Jenkins, the Lion catcher heaved the ball into left field to plate a run.Two walks and consecutive wild pitches abetted RBI singles by Marissah Banuelos and Mia Christianson in the inning that finalized with five runs.

An infield error set up one fourth inning AM run while Lomeli-Smith singled home a run as the Lions pushed back within 5-4.

MR threatened to blow the game apart in the bottom of the frame with a nine-batter onslaught.

Kyla Flynn led off with a double to right field followed by an Alyssa Vasquez single. Marissah Banuelos singled to send both runners consecutively to home plate.

Following a wild pitch and walk, Kelsea Grettenburg sent a run home on a sacrifice fly out to center field. Wild pitches and a fielder's choice infield out registered an additional run as the Rams extended their lead to 9-4.

Back came the Lions in the fifth inning to close within 9-6.

Three hit batters and a Banuelos run-scoring single finished off a three-spot fifth inning for Mt. Rainier.

Controlling the game at 12-6, MRHS endured a three-run AMHS sixth inning.

Banuelos hammered home two runs for the Rams after a Grettenburg RBI in their three-run sixth inning answer.

Weathering a trio of Auburn Mountainview tallies in the top of the seventh inning, Mt. Rainier gamely hung on to victory.

Vasquez summed it up best.

"It was a long night," she exhaled.

COVINGTON - In a long day's journey into night, the Mount Rainier fastpitch softball team completed 14 innings of play at the Kent Service Club Community Ball Fields with a drawn out, seven inning 15-12 victory against Auburn Mountainview.

The NPSL 4A tournament win eliminated the Lions and qualified the young Rams for a May 14 play in game to West Central/Southwest bi-district.

Mt. Rainier (10-9) moved into a Fri., May 10, battle for seeds 8 and 10.

"After the tough loss (against Beamer), we could have gone flat, but the girls kept working," said MRHS head coach Bret Christianson. "Our pitcher pitched 14 innings and kept us in the games. In the heat, it gets harder , and we could have fielded better to close it out."

For Auburn Mountainview, Adriana Lomell-Smith sailed a first inning solo home run over the left field barrier to put the Lions on top immediately. 

Angie Thompson's RBI infield ground out added another Lion run in the third inning.

Finally answering the bell, the Ram offense kicked into gear in the bottom of the frame starting on a Bryana Jenkins  stand up double. Molly McCabe set down a sacrifice bunt, advancing Jenkins to third base. On an attempted pick off of Jenkins, the Lion catcher heaved the ball into left field to plate a run.Two walks and consecutive wild pitches abetted RBI singles by Marissah Banuelos and Mia Christianson in the inning that finalized with five runs.

An infield error set up one fourth inning AM run while Lomeli-Smith singled home a run as the Lions pushed back within 5-4.

MR threatened to blow the game apart in the bottom of the frame with a nine-batter onslaught.

Kyla Flynn led off with a double to right field followed by an Alyssa Vasquez single. Marissah Banuelos singled to send both runners consecutively to home plate.

Following a wild pitch and walk, Kelsea Grettenburg sent a run home on a sacrifice fly out to center field. Wild pitches and a fielder's choice infield out registered an additional run as the Rams extended their lead to 9-4.

Back came the Lions in the fifth inning to close within 9-6.

Three hit batters and a Banuelos run-scoring single finished off a three-spot fifth inning for Mt. Rainier.

Controlling the game at 12-6, MRHS endured a three-run AMHS sixth inning.

Banuelos hammered home two runs for the Rams after a Grettenburg RBI in their three-run sixth inning answer.

Weathering a trio of Auburn Mountainview tallies in the top of the seventh inning, Mt. Rainier gamely hung on to victory.

Vasquez summed it up best.

"It was a long night," she exhaled.