Jillian Albayati makes history, but Anaheim falls in Division 6 baseball title game

Saturday’s Southern Section Division 6 baseball championship game at Cal State Fullerton won’t be soon forgotten. Not because it took nearly 3½ hours to finish in 11 innings. Not because Costa Mesa Estancia finally prevailed 2-1 over Anaheim to win its first championship.

It was a game in which the first female starting pitcher in Southern Section championship baseball history, Anaheim’s Jillian Albayati, put on a show to help break down barriers and earn respect for her skills.

She gave up one run and eight hits in nine innings. She also drove in her team’s only run.

Estancia broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the 11th when James De La O hit a double that scored Travis Scott from first base. Anaheim had the tying and winning runs on base in the bottom of the 11th, but a runner left early from second on a fly-ball out, ending the game with the third out.

In the Division 4 baseball final, Las Flores Tesoro defeated Fullerton 3-0. Coleton Dahl struck out 11 in six scoreless innings while surrendering three hits.

In Division 3, Westlake Village Oaks Christian defeated La Quinta 1-0. Junior Joseph Steventon threw the shutout. It was the first title for Lions coach Royce Clayton, a former major leaguer. Tommy Farmer scored the only run on a bases-loaded walk and also threw out a runner at the plate from left field to preserve the shutout.

In Division 2, Etiwanda defeated Torrance 6-1. Dylan Goff improved to 11-0 with a six-hitter, striking out nine and walking none. Austen Roelling had three hits and two RBIs and freshman Brady Ebel added two hits.