Jackson hangs on to beat T-birds

MILL CREEK

It wasn’t pretty but Miya Kumangai and the Jackson softball team got past Shorewood to stay undefeated and clinch its fourth Western Conference South Division title outright.

Kumangai’s bases loaded double in the third inning drove in three runs to give Jackson a 6-3 lead, and the Timberwolves hung on to win 6-5 May 6 at Jackson High School.

“We stay pretty cool under pressure,” Kumangai said. “We know we can do it and we get it done.”

Kumangai got an inside pitch to hit from Shorewood pitcher Olivia Jacobs and belted to deep left field to clear the bases, Carly McEachran had doubled to score Kimmi Kumangai to tie the score earlier in the inning and Brooklyn York and Ashley Todd were hit by Jacobs’ pitches to load the bases.

Shorewood came back with a pair of runs in the fourth on a RBI fielder’s choice by Jacobs and RBI single by Caitlin Forinash but left the bases loaded for the second inning in a row. Shorewood left 13 runners on base in the game compared to six for Jackson.

“That was a fun game to coach,” Shorewood coach Tom Rizzuto said. “A lot of opportunities, a lot of things going on.”

Shorewood could have clinched the No. 3 seed to the 4A District 1 tournament with a win. The Thunderbirds needed a win over Meadowdale, Wednesday, May 7 to clinch instead. Jackson has clinched the No. 1 seed to districts.

Jackson used three pitchers in the game and committed four errors, allowing three unearned runs to score.

Dani Jackman, who is coming back from an injury to her right bicep, started but struggled with her control and was relieved by McEachran in the second inning. McEachran, who is coming back from a right knee injury, was called for several illegal pitches for lifting her foot off the pitching rubber before releasing the ball. McEachran got the win but Erin Feeney came on in relief in the fourth and finished the game to earn the save.

“We were very sloppy,” Jackson coach Mike Moran said. “We had a couple pitchers coming back from injury. They were a little rusty but it was good to get them out on the field. We’re going to need them when the time comes.”

Shorewood scored a run in the first after Anna Ellersick led off with an infield single, moved to third on a Maddy Golden double before scoring a grounder by Kayla McCarthy. The Thunderbirds made it 3-0 in the second when a throwing error by Jackman on a grounder by Ali Hascall allowed Sarah Edinger and Chloe Pope-Levison to score.

Jackson cut it to 3-2 in the second after a lead-off home run to center by Feeney and a RBI double by Allison Higinbotham that scored Ashley Todd.

Jacobs took the loss for Shorewood but Rizzuto said it was the best game she had pitched all year.

Ashley Salazar went 3-for-4 with three singles for Shorewood and Golden went 2-for-3 with a double. Miya Kumangai went 2-for-3 and Kimmi Kumangi went 2-for-4 with a stolen base to lead Jackson.