Story and photos by Tracy Burrows
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Last night at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (NCSWAC), the West Seattle High School softball team took on top-ranked Ballard High School in the Metro 3A League tournament. Ballard lived up to its ranking, quickly going on a scoring spree that was topped off by a 2-run home run that cleared the fence. The Beavers led by a score of 10-0 after 3 innings,

But the Wildcats, whose team motto “Boogie with a Suitcase” captures their irrepressible spirit, never gave up. Coach Kyler Tsukada urged the girls to keep their energy up, forget about the score, and just work on getting one run at a time. The Wildcats broke through with 3 runs in the fifth inning, powered by a triple from Molly Lefkowitz.

The girls kept it going in the 7th inning, putting together a fierce rally, including a double by Julia Herron. But the Wildcats came up short, losing by a score of 11-6.

Pitcher Daeja Piggee went the distance for the Wildcats, bouncing back after being hit by a fastball pitch to the ankle.

After the game, Coach Kyler praised the team for their competitive drive and for showing that they can hang with any team they come up against. The team’s next game is on Friday at 1:30 pm versus Seattle Prep at NCSWAC.