Jackson pitcher Iyanla Pennington celebrates after shutting out Monroe 2-0 in the 4A district championship on May 17, 2018, in Everett. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

Jackson pitcher Iyanla Pennington celebrates after shutting out Monroe 2-0 in the 4A district championship on May 17, 2018, in Everett. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

Jackson tops Monroe for district title, state berth (video)

Ace Iyanla Pennington shuts out the Bearcats 2-0 to lead the T-wolves to their 4th straight district crown.

EVERETT — With ace pitcher Iyanla Pennington recording double-digit strikeouts nearly every game, defense is often an overlooked aspect of the Jackson softball team’s success.

But with a district title on the line Thursday night, the Timberwolves’ defense was front and center.

Pennington tossed a shutout, her defense made a pivotal run-saving play and No. 2 seed Jackson claimed its fourth consecutive district crown with a 2-0 win over No. 4 seed Monroe in the Class 4A Northwest District tournament title game at Phil Johnson Ballfields.

Afterward, as the state-bound Timberwolves posed for a celebratory team photo with the championship trophy, they held up four fingers to signify their reign of district dominance.

“It’s pretty incredible,” Jackson coach Kyle Peacocke said. “It speaks to the program. Year in and year out, the players buy in. They want to keep up with what the team did before and just look to get better each year.”

The victory advanced the Timberwolves (21-1) to the state tournament for the fourth consecutive season. Monroe (17-6) will face top-seeded Lake Stevens in an elimination game Friday night for the district’s second and final state berth.

In an error-free district title game filled with web gems, the biggest defensive play came with Jackson nursing a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth inning.

With two outs and the tying run on first base, Monroe’s Taylor Durant smacked a hard-hit ball off the base of the right-center field fence, sending Hannah Akin flying around the bases.

“My heart was pounding when I saw the ball get hit, because there were two outs, so the runner was going (on contact),” Pennington said.

Jackson right fielder Macy Tarbox sprinted to the ball and fired a perfect throw to second baseman Jessica Asantor, who sent an on-target relay to the plate. As Akin slid into home, catcher Sam Mutolo applied the tag for the inning-ending out.

The highlight-reel play preserved a one-run lead and sent the Timberwolves into a frenzied celebration.

“Hats off to Jackson on that play at home,” Monroe coach Ashley Tuiasosopo said. “You have to make a perfect throw and a perfect tag, and they did it. You tip your hat off to them.”

Jackson sophomore Laina Delgado made a pair of nice plays at first base, snagging a hard-hit line drive and making a diving stop and putout on a grounder toward the hole.

“They’re phenomenal,” Pennington said of her defense. “It’s so easy to pitch for them, because I always know that they’re going to stop the ball. Whether they get the out or not, I know that the runner isn’t going to get any extra bases. They’re the best defense I could ask for.”

Pennington struck out 15 batters, including nine in the first three innings. The hard-throwing Coastal Carolina University commit allowed seven hits and no walks.

Pennington, a junior, has a 0.25 earned-run average in 113 1/3 innings pitched this season. She has 235 strikeouts and just 40 walks.

“She is really something special,” Peacocke said. “She’s incredible. She rises to the occasion. … She gave up a couple hard hits, but she doesn’t let it phase her. I’m just super proud of her for her resilience. It’s just impressive to watch her play.”

Monroe starter Sarah Reeves yielded two runs and five hits in five-plus innings pitched.

Jackson scored in the first inning after Monroe intentionally walked the heavy-hitting Pennington with the bases empty and two outs.

Mutolo, the ensuing batter, made the Bearcats pay.

The cleanup-hitting senior lined a double that got past the center fielder — who made a sliding attempt at a catch — and scored courtesy runner Sam Klotter for a 1-0 Timberwolves lead. Mutolo finished 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles.

“Sam Mutolo is batting where she is because of that,” Peacocke said of the intentional walk to Pennington, who is batting .548 with seven home runs this season. “And (Sam) came up with a clutch hit. We have confidence in our hitters. I don’t know what I would do if I was in (Monroe’s) situation. Ice hits the ball so darn hard every time she makes contact.”

Pennington added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth with a scorching line-drive double to the right-center field fence. Klotter scored from first on the hit, sliding around the tag at home plate to give Jackson a 2-0 lead.

Pennington then recorded the final three outs in the seventh to send the Timberwolves back to state.

“We just keep getting better and better,” Pennington said. “I feel like we have a really good chance to go very far in the (state) tournament. Hopefully we go as far as we can.”

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