MONROE — The Stanwood Spartans have grown accustomed to winning close softball games, but none have mustered the drama of Thursday’s battle with rival Arlington.

Down to their final strike, with the season riding on the bat of a freshman, the Spartans rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Eagles to claim the final state berth at the Northwest 4A District Tournament.

“It’s awesome. I can’t even explain it,” said Jordan Nemo, who singled home the winning run. “It’s perfect for my senior season. I can’t put it into words.”

What the Spartans are not accustomed to is surviving the second day of the district tournament. For the past two years, and several other times since the program switched to fastpitch in the mid-1990s, Stanwood has gotten within a game or two of the state tournament and been turned away.

But the Spartans have never had Shawna Hochstetler at the plate in that situation. Facing Arlington star pitcher Christina Rayner with a runner at second base and two out, the Spartan freshman quickly fell behind 0-2. She took one ball, then laced a clean single to right to tie the score.

“I was shaking. I was so nervous,” Hochstetler said. “I just had to believe. It was nerve-wracking.”

For Nemo, a three-year starter, it meant not finishing her prep career on deck.

“I wanted her to do it so bad,” Nemo said. “She’s great. I was so nervous for her, and excited at the same time.”

Hochstetler took second on the throw home, which proved crucial as Nemo slapped a single to left, scoring Hochstetler as the rest of the Spartans spilled out of the dugout to mob her.

“I was so excited, so scared, too, and anxious,” Nemo said. “I got an outside pitch and hit it the other way. I’ve been working on doing that.”

The hits made a winner of Brittany Jeans, who followed up a one-hitter in a 10-0 five-inning victory over Shorewood earlier in the day with a six-hitter. She didn’t allow a runner to third base until the sixth inning when Arlington’s Lisa Allen singled in Kalie Basher with two out to break a scoreless tie.

Rayner and Jeans each struck out five.

Stanwood gets a week off before beginning its first state tournament since 1993 when the Spartans were a slowpitch program.

“It’s been their goal all year,” Spartans coach Cherlyn Schander said. “There’s never a dull moment. They stuck with it.”

• Eric Francis can be reached at 360-416-2131 or by e-mail at