With injuries to both M-P pitchers Riley Fritz and Jen Rosie (pictured), the Tomahawk softball team may be an even bigger underdog than last year for this spring's district tournament.

Well, rain yesterday limited some interesting high school match-ups.

Two local softball teams, Marysville-Pilchuck and Arlington were both scheduled to play, each game with implications for the district tournament. Arlington is led by the extremely consistent and strong pitching of senior Christina Rayner and the team is all but assured of an appearance in the district tournament with only their seeding into the tournament on the line. That double-elimination bracket will feed three teams from Wesco North and South into the state tournament.

Which leads to the other team apparently rained out yesterday. Last season, the Tomahawks enjoyed a Cinderella season, picked to finish in the cellar of the league after the departure of utility player and regular pitcher Miranda Rosebrook to Wenatchee Valley College. Instead, thanks to the emergence of then-freshman pitcher Riley Fritz, M-P climbed out of the bottom to clinch the district’s fourth and then-final seed with a win over league dynamo Monroe. They beat the Bearcats again in the tournament and wound up district champions on a hot streak.

This year, M-P needs another miracle. Fritz has been struggling with an ankle injury throughout the season and last week junior pitcher Jen Rosie injured her hand in play. Nearly every loss they’ve had has been by one run and it looks like their season will come down to a dominant-looking league rival. The team was scheduled to play Everett yesterday and undefeated Stanwood today for a chance at a play-in game to face Stanwood again in the first round of the tournament.

Last time I saw the Tomahawks play, I learned freshman Monica Clow is the team’s third pitcher. Will M-P turn to her to help fulfill the team’s playoff aspirations?