Mater Dei pitchers throw perfect game in Division 1 final

Three months after starting the season by giving up 17 runs and looking like its pitching staff was in ruins, Santa Ana Mater Dei ended it with pitching perfection.

Cory Hahn retired the first 15 batters, then sophomore Ty Moore retired the next six for a combined perfect game in Mater Dei’s 2-0 victory over Dana Point Dana Hills on Saturday night in the Southern Section Division 1 championship game at the Diamond at Lake Elsinore.

“The moment is undescribable,” Hahn said.

Added Coach Burt Call: “It’s amazing.”

As if Hahn weren’t already everyone’s choice for most valuable player, he hit a home run in the bottom of the sixth, the only home run in the four title games played at the Diamond.

Pitching on three days’ rest, Hahn (14-1) struck out seven of the 15 batters he faced. He had to leave because of a rule that prevents a player from pitching more than 10 innings in a week.

Moore got through the sixth and in the seventh went to a full count on Peter Maris before getting a called third strike.

Left-hander Eric Hsieh of Dana Hills was close to matching Hahn with five strikeouts through five innings. If not for a fly ball that got lost in the lights and ended up a run-scoring triple, the game would have been scoreless. But Jacob Medina’s triple after a walk to Konnor Armijo in the second inning put the Monarchs ahead, 1-0.

It has been a remarkable turnaround for Mater Dei (21-10), which lost its opener to Corona Santiago, 17-2, and had its fans wondering who would be a dependable pitcher. Enter Hahn, who came through with some early wins and kept providing leadership throughout.

“It’s an accumulation of a lot of hard work,” Call said. “They kept battling.”

Hahn, who has signed with Arizona State, kept finding ways to contribute. He made a running catch in the sixth inning playing center field on a hard-hit ball from Mike Battaglia.

And when Peter Tago’s ground ball to second was turned into the final out, the Monarchs celebrated perfection and a championship.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com