As the batter neared the plate, the third basemen shifted her weight from side to side as the bright rays of the sun beated down on her sweat-drenched back. The batter swung as the fly ball sailed along the foul line. Rushing to catch the ball, the fielder tripped over her feet and tumbled to the ground.

She picked herself up off the ground and attempted to walk. Once again she fell right back to the ground, only this time she was in front of the Parlier fans. A few laughed, but as Tiffany Kaiser, ’03, made her way back across the field, she saw the smiles and heard the roaring laughs booming from the Fresno Christian bleachers.

Kaiser first started playing softball at the age of 12 and has played varsity all four years of high school. Kaiser played her first year on varsity as a freshman at Sierra High School and the past three years on campus.

“My father has influenced my playing softball the most,” Kaiser said, “because he is always willing to do whatever it takes to help me improve. He continuously pushes me to do better than I think is possible.”

On March 27, the girls’ softball team defeated Tranquility with a score of 14-4. The game was stopped in the 5th inning when the umpires and coaches enforced the mercy rule. Kaiser led the team going 3-4 at the plate.

“This year, we have a really good team defensively,” coach Robert Foshee said. “Sara Weins (’04) is becoming a great pitcher. Tiffany is our leader and just an all around great player, offensively and defensively. We have had a lot of tough games this season, and whether we are loosing or winning, the girls never give up. We could be winning by 20 or losing by 20, but no matter what, the team plays their best.”

The softball team consists of seven returning players and college-bound Kaiser who plans on attending Master’s College, a Christian school in the Los Angeles area, in the fall.

“They are offering me a scholarship to play softball for their school,” Kaiser said. ” It’s a good school and I’ll probably be going there.”

The girls’ campus softball team expects a season that will lead them to the playoffs in May.

“For the most part,” Kaiser said,” I think that once we really come together as one, our standards will be set even higher. We have a lot of talent this year and if we can unite as one, I think we can be unstoppable.”

The girl’s softball team holds a record of 3-1 in league and 7-6 overall. The next game is scheduled for April 1 at Mendota.