Errors once again doomed South Whidbey softball.

This time, the Falcon fastpitch team committed eight errors. Those mistakes were too much to overcome against the Cedarcrest Red Wolves in an 8-1 loss March 25.

“They have one of the tallest first basemen that can grab things you didn’t think they’d get to,” said Falcon junior Chantel Brown of Cedarcrest senior Kailyn Lucas.

Cedarcrest tallied only five hits against Falcon junior Mackenzie Hezel, who pitched the complete game. But the Falcons’ defense dropped fly balls because nobody called for the ball, missed cut offs and threw to the wrong base.

Defensive mistakes saddled the Falcons (0-4 Cascade Conference; 0-4 overall) in last place.

Prior to Monday’s game, South Whidbey averaged eight runs but allowed 11 per game.

In the sixth and seventh innings, South Whidbey committed three errors that resulted in two Cedarcrest runs. For all the miscues, however, South Whidbey got itself out of those maladies with strong plays on the field, one by shortstop Haley Viers and a pair of line drive catches by center fielder Ellie Greene.

“We just composed ourselves to calm ourselves down and make a play,” said Greene, a senior.

Cedarcrest jumped to a five-run lead in the sixth inning before South Whidbey scored. Not for a lack of offense, though. In the fourth inning, Greene slammed a triple to the right field fence. As she slid into third, however, the ball passed the Red Wolves’ third baseman and Falcon head coach Ashley Lopez told her to stretch for the in-the-park home run.

She was tagged out at home plate by a couple of steps.

“I got up too slowly after that slide,” said Greene who finished 3-for-3 at the plate.

“I just kept my eye on the ball.”

South Whidbey’s only score came in the sixth inning. Greene hit a single to center field and reached third on a hit-and-run by Hezel. The junior’s hit bounced off the Cedarcrest’s pitcher’s left arm, but she remained in the game. Chloe Huffman ripped a RBI double to right-center field that brought home Greene.

Fixing the defense was the Falcons’ top priority. Practices were spent working on game scenario plays with the added focus on calling for fly balls, yelling where outfielders should throw and encouraging one another after mistakes.

“It’s still a work in progress, but we’re doing good,” Brown said.