Softball: Ayala wins Faster to First Tournament

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Chino Hills Ayala (12-2) entered the prestigious Faster to First Tournament ranked No. 20 in the state and unranked in the nation.

UCLA-bound pitcher Jessica Hall changed that.

Hall pitched a two-hitter with six strikeouts to lift Ayala to a 1-0 victory over Anaheim Canyon (ranked No. 6 in the state and No. 16 in the nation) in the championship game of the Faster to First Tournament on Saturday at the Huntington Beach Sports Complex.

That was Hall’s second shutout of the day.

She pitched a two-hitter with eight strikeouts in a 3-0 semifinal win that afternoon against El Modena (ranked No. 10 in the state and No. 29 in the nation).

‘She was on fire for that tournament,’ Ayala Coach John Ameluxen said. ‘So much for rankings.’

Hall is no stranger to big-time competition.

Two years ago at the same tournament, Hall threw against the No. 1 ranked team in the nation, La Palma Kennedy, and pulled off a 4-3 win.

She had perfect games this season against Yucaipa and El Toro, and wasn’t on the mound during the team’s only two losses. She’s hitting .400 and has a 0.30 ERA with 123 strikeouts in 70 innings.

‘That puts San Bernardino County on the map a little bit,’ Ameluxen said.

-- Melissa Rohlin