MILL CREEK — The Jackson High School softball team remained on a tear in a shutout victory over Stanwood.
The Timberwolves used a four-run first inning and clamped down the rest of the way, defeating the Spartans 6-0 in a non-league Wesco crossover on Tuesday. It was Jackson’s sixth shutout win of the year.
Junior leadoff hitter Allie Thomsen, who missed all of last season due to injury, highlighted Jackson’s early offensive burst, launching solo homers in the first and second innings as the Timberwolves (9-1) climbed ahead 5-0 heading into the third.
“She changes our lineup dramatically,” Jackson coach Kyle Peacocke said. “She has so much power and she’s such a good player, and it really lengthens our lineup for us.”
The Timberwolves’ senior ace Yanina Sherwood was her usual dominant self in the circle, tossing out 100 pitches and 10 strikeouts in a complete game, allowing two hits with no walks. She was also 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI.
“Any time you score runs early in the game it kind of relaxes everybody,” Peacocke said. “And you know when you’ve got Yanina pitching with a lead, good things are going to happen.”
Hailey Pelletier and Reese Westman both turned in multi-hit performances as well, each going 2-for-3 for a Jackson lineup that has been lighting it up in its first 10 contests this spring, batting over .410 as a group.
For Stanwood (5-3), it was another test against a top-end Wesco 4A school after the Spartans fell 1-0 in a battle against Glacier Peak last week.
“We always love to come play Jackson because you know you’re going to get the best,” Stanwood coach Patrick Ryan said. “We’ve tried to work on that all season. We’ve wanted to play the best and we want to be in those games. I felt like we really were today, but we have some adjustments we need to work on as the season goes on.”
Outside of relinquishing a four-spot in the first, the Spartans kept the Timberwolves in check from the third inning onward, allowing just one score despite being shut down on the offensive end.
Freshman relief pitcher Addi Anderson gave Stanwood a bright spot after checking in during the second frame, allowing one run across 4 1/3 innings as she struck out three, allowing five hits with two walks.
“We’re building and this group is starting to jell together,” Ryan added. “We’re pretty lucky, Addi is a new arm on our staff and we have three new ones this year. … We work as a staff, and she came in and did her job tonight.”
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