Jackson softball routs Emerald Ridge for 4th state championship in 5 seasons

RICHLAND — Leneyah Mitchell and Allie Thomsen hit home runs, the defense turned two double plays, and Jackson beat Emerald Ridge 10-1 on Saturday for its fourth Class 4A state softball title in five years at Columbia Playfield.

“It’s incredible,” Jackson coach Kyle Peacocke said. “These kids worked their tails off. When the seniors were freshmen, I knew that they were a special group. They go out and take care of business.”

Emerald Ridge (19-6), which has never won more than one game at the state tournament before this year, knocked off No. 1 Skyview in the quarterfinals, then beat Kentwood 3-2 in eight innings in the semifinals for the right to play the Timberwolves.

“I’m more than proud,” Emerald Ridge coach Ayanna Arceneaux said. “This team has worked so hard and was the underdog coming into the tournament. To bring back a second-place trophy is incredible.”

The Timberwolves (25-2), who also won titles in 2023, 2019 and 2018, got the ball rolling in the second inning after a scoreless first.

Hailey Pelletier reached on a single and later scored on an error to put Jackson on the board. 

In the third, Mitchell drove in three runs with a home run over the right-field fence, and Thomsen put one run across the plate with a double to the left-center gap as the Timberwolves jumped out to a 5-0 lead.

Mitchell’s home run sent a surge of energy through the Timberwolves, who had 17 hits on the day.

“That felt really good,” Mitchell said of her hit. “Our energy bounces off each other. That was a big thing for us.”

The Jaguars put their one run on the board in the bottom of the third on a quirky play.

Jayda Guadron struck out, but Jackson catcher Mitchell dropped the ball and did not tag Guadron. The Timberwolves thought the inning was over, but Guadron went to first and Kaelyn Dyrdahl hustled home from third.

Jackson got the next batter out and moved on.

Rachel Sysum added an RBI double in the fourth inning for Jackson, and Mitchell and Yanina Sherwood had RBI singles in sixth as the Timberwolves extended their lead to 8-1. 

“We knew she (Jaguars pitcher Alanna Wirtala) had a good rise ball, but we are a good hitting team,” Peacocke said.

In the top of the sixth, Emerald Ridge pulled Wirtala in favor of Kaylie Hogeweide-Marshall, but it didn’t make any difference to Jackson who was in the circle.

In the seventh, with Kiana Holden on base, Thomsen blasted a two-run over the center-field wall for a 10-1 advantage.

“We have an experienced team and a bunch of players who are going to play college ball,” Peacocke said. “We can hit the ball. That’s who we are.”

Sherwood, who is headed to UNLV to play softball, pitched a complete game for Jackson, allowing one run on four hits with seven strikeouts and one walk.

Thomsen, who has committed to the University of Washington, went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and three RBI, while Mitchell was 2-for-3 with four RBI. Reese Westman, Addi Bale, Sysum, Pelletier and Holden all hit doubles for the Timberwolves.

Wirtala gave up eight runs on 13 hits in 5 1/3 innings of work. She struck out two and walked none.

“That is a demanding job she has, and she executed better than she should have,” Arceneaux said. “She did a good job to get us here.”

Wirtala, Sarah Hurley, Ava Puttler and Dyrdahl all singles for the Jaguars.