MONROE — Last year, Jackson entered the 4A District 1 softball tournament with an 18-2 record and was one of the favorites to advance to the state tourney. Two disappointing losses later, the Timberwolves had been eliminated from postseason play.
Tuesday, undefeated Jackson made the most of its chance at redemption.
Following a 6-0 quarterfinal victory over Monroe, Jackson eked out a 3-2 victory over the Stanwood Spartans to advance to the district championship game on Thursday and also earn a 4A state tournament berth. State begins next week in Tacoma.
“It has been a long wait since last May,” Jackson starting pitcher Dani Jackman said. “Our year was focused on this.”
Jackman (12-0) played a large role in helping the Timberwolves earn their trip to state. She threw a complete game Tuesday, giving up just five hits, walking three batters and striking out nine Spartans.
Jackman’s counterpart on the mound, Brittany Jeans of Stanwood was equally impressive. Jeans also threw a complete game, giving up just six hits and keeping her team in the game, but the Timberwolves got to her in the first inning.
With one out, Jeans walked Megan Cooley. Lindsey Robison followed with an infield single and Jackman walked to load the bases for Lizzy Reimer. Reimer put down a well-placed bunt up the first base line that scored Cooley, giving the Timberwolves a 1-0 lead.
The scored stayed 1-0 until the bottom of the fifth inning when the Timberwolves tacked on two runs that proved to be crucial.
Cooley hit an infield single with one away and Robison followed with a double to straight-away center field to put runners on second and third with one out. Jackman hit a sacrifice-fly to center, scoring Cooley. Kimmi Kumangai followed Jackman with a single to center that scored Maddy Mertens, a courtesy runner for Robison at second base. That put the Timberwolves ahead 3-0.
Stanwood responded in the top of the sixth inning. Shawna Hochstetler led off the inning with a single to left field. The next batter, Samantha Bingham, drove a Jackman pitch well over the right-field fence, cutting Jackson’s lead to 3-2.
Jackman said she heard people buzzing in the crowd after the home run, saying she might be tired. “I was like ‘no dude, I got it,’” she said after the game.
And she did have it.
Jackman retired six of the next seven batters to end the game. The only baserunner reached on an error in the top of the seventh inning.
“She only threw one bad pitch in 14 innings,” Jackson head coach Mike Moran said of Jackman.
Moran said getting out of the 4A district playoffs is one of the biggest challenges for Wesco conference team because the league is so deep.
But unlike last year, his team advanced this time.
“When you get here, nobody cares what your record is,” Moran said. “Today we just happened to put together two really big games.”
Robison batted 2-for-3 and Kumangai batted 2-for-2 with two RBI for Jackson. Bingham batted 1-for-3 for Stanwood with her two-run home run.
The Timberwolves face Marysville-Pilchuck on Thursday at 5 p.m. at Skyriver Park in Monroe for the 4A District 1 championship.
Jackson 3, Stanwood 2
At Sky River Park, Monroe
Stanwood0000020—250
Jackson1000200—361
Jeans and Bingham. Jackman and Covello. WP—Jackman (12-0). LP—Jeans. 2B—Robison (J). HR—Bingham (S). Records—Stanwood 15-5 overall. Jackson 22-0.
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