Last year was last year.

But was it really?

One could hardly fault softball players from Peoria Sunrise Mountain for carrying last season’s Division II state championship loss to Tucson Canyon del Oro around until 2013.

Losing is bad enough. But it was the way the Mustangs lost. They hit a grand slam to tie it with two outs in the seventh inning, and saw CDO use a home run in the eighth to rebound for an 11-9 victory.

Few players took it harder than Sunrise Mountain pitcher Taylor Nowlin.

Then a junior, the left-hander wondered about what could have been while shaking off pain in her fingers from what appeared to be a blister on her pitching hand.

On Monday (May 13), there was no pain, only joy. Except for a two-batter sequence in the first inning, Nowlin was as dominant as she has ever been.

She gave up two hits and struck out 12 and her teammates provided her with plenty of offensive support with 12 hits as the top-seeded Mustangs rolled to a 7-0 victory over No. 4 Tucson Ironwood Ridge at Arizona State University’s Farrington Stadium.

It was the fourth state title for Sunrise Mountain, which finished with a 36-1 record. Its only blemish was a setback to Glendale Mountain Ridge, one of the top teams in Division I this season. Ironwood Ridge finished at 28-11.

“All of the girls worked so hard. It was not about the individual,’’ said Sunrise Mountain coach Jody Pruitt. “A lot of the girls had a bad taste in their mouths from last year, but all we talked about was being better.’’

Nowlin certainly was better. With a seemingly perpetual smile, she didn’t seem bothered by much of anything, at least on the outside.

“As long as she’s having fun, that’s what matters,’’ Pruitt said.

Nowlin wasn’t having much fun after facing the first two batters of the game, walking the leadoff hitter and giving up a high-chop infield single. One runner advanced on a wild pitch and the other on a stolen base, so Ironwood Ridge had runners at second and third with nobody out.

Nowlin said she turned to her middle infielders, shortstop Michala Erickson and second baseman Molly Stern.

“I had some nerves, but they kept me calm and I got out of it,’’ Nowlin said.

Calm enough to regain her focus and strike out the next three batters. Ironwood Ridge had only one more hit on the night, a one-out single in the sixth inning.

When Nowlin came to the dugout, she was hyped up, according to catcher Morgan Leonard.

“I just told her, “It’s me and you,’ ’’ Leonard said.

Leonard added that Nowlin’s screwball was working well, and that her fastball had a lot of movement.

“She is an awesome pitcher,’’ Leonard said.

“This means so much to everyone. It’s awesome. You can’t describe it.’’

It was not difficult to tell that Nowlin, who will move on to play for Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, was happy.

“We’re all very excited. We have a very strong team,’’ she said.

Leonard gave Nowlin a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with a double into the gap in left field. Two more runs scored in the second inning on three hits.

Leonard swung a big bat again in the fourth with a two-run triple into the left-field corner for a 5-0 lead. The final two runs went on the board in the fifth on an error and a sacrifice fly.

Of her hitting, Leonard said, “It was about getting my pitch, waiting for it.’’

For the Mustangs, there is no more waiting for another title. Last year was last year, and this year is here.