Ayala’s Hall named California Gatorade Player of Year

Jessica Hall’s Ayala High School softball team won the CIF-SS Division 3 championship six days ago but she officially received her Gatorade shower on Wednesday. The senior pitcher bound for UCLA was named the 2009-10 Gatorade California softball Player of the Year.

“It was a shocker to me,” Hall said. “Knowing all the hard work actually paid off. I know I’m representing a lot of people in the softball world, my high school, my travel team, so it’s pretty amazing to do this.”

Hall, who has been Ayala’s starting pitcher since she was a freshman, posted a 28-3 record her senior season with a 0.68 ERA in leading the Bulldogs to the first CIF title in school history. The 5-foot-9 senior was also an offensive force with a .340 batting average, five home runs and 32 RBIs. Competing against a national field in March’s Faster to First Tournament, Hall led Ayala to the tournament title, earning MVP honors in the process.

Her prowess in the classroom – she maintained a 3.36 GPA – was also a large factor in earning her Gatorade Player of the Year honors, which qualifies her to be the national Player of the Year named later this month.

“Knowing I’m not just another face in the crowd it pretty cool,” Hall said. “Knowing that I’m making myself stand out with what I do feels pretty good.”

Hall readily acknowledged that without her teammates at Ayala, specifically the ones who led the comeback from a four-run deficit in Friday’s CIF championship game capped by Mary Massei’s go-ahead grand slam, she likely would be accepting this award. Hall hadn’t allowed a run in the playoffs as Ayala cruised to the Division 3 final against Downey Warren but found herself trailing 4-0 after allowing a pair of two-run home runs to Warren’s imposing catcher. Such allowances were a rarity in a season during which Hall pitched four no-hitters, including two perfect games. She recorded 336 strikeouts opposite 28 walks and gave up just 82 hits in 204-plus innings.

“She’s only going to get better, that’s the scary thing,” Ayala coach John Ameluxen said. “Once she gets to college and starts lifting and training with professionals, the sky is the limit.”

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