By Christine Jinbo; Special to ESPN RISE Softball
 
Huntington Beach, Calif. - The Faster to 1st Nationall Tournament, hosted by Canyon (Anaheim, Calif.), featured 24 top teams from six states including Florida and Hawaii.  With the diverse field, it was Canyon and cross-town rival Esperanza (Anaheim, Calif.) in one of the championship bracket  semi-finals.
 

	Scott Kurtz for ESPN RISE
	Pitcher Cheyanne Tarango led the Canyon High School softball team to victory.

Early game hustle by Esperanza's center fielder, Kristin Scharkey, helped put the Aztecs out front early.  The senior Northwestern commit led off for the Aztecs with a base hit and showed off her wheels as she stole second on a pitch out.  She scored on a shot to left center by freshman Nicole Schroeder and scored again in the third on a stand up double by senior Kailyn Johnson, which put the Aztecs up 2-0.
 
The speedster used her quickness in the field, as she tracked down a fly in short center for a diving catch, which robbed Canyon of a base hit.
 
Quite the opposite, Canyon could not generate any momentum and left four runners stranded in the first three innings.  Canyon coach Dan Hay commented on his team's slow start.
 
"We have consistently started off slow in this tournament, but the girls gained confidence and never gave up.”
 
The Comanches heated up at the plate in the bottom of the fifth, down 2-0 with the clock ticking in the timed semi-final.  With two outs and a runner in scoring position, catcher Shannon Bustillos punched one into right for an RBI and scampered to second on the play at the plate.  
 
The rally continued as pitcher Cheyanne Tarango hit to the gap for a base hit.  With the Comanche bats steaming hot, senior shortstop Briana Gwaltney took one deep to center and Tarango was waved home.  Esperanza's Scharkey came up throwing as Bustillos scored on a bobbled ball at the plate to tie the score 2-2.
 
Esperanza coach Ed Tunstall changed pitchers as he attempted to cool down the Comanches.  With a new hurler on the mound, junior first baseman Taylor Van Acker came to the plate.  With two outs and two runs scored, Van Acker tagged one to right center for a two run double that gave the Comanches the lead, 4-2.  The rally ended on a called third strike by the base umpire on a check swing by freshman Kelly Stowe.
 
Tunstall responded to the barrage with pinch hitter, Kelsea Roth, who hit a solo homerun to center, which brought the score to 4-3.  Tarango countered by plunking the next batter.  In true Tunstall fashion, he called for a sacrifice bunt, which moved the runner to second.  
 
With one out and a runner in scoring position, Tarango sat down the next two batters with consecutive strikeouts.
 
Tarango commented on Roth's solo shot, "Kelsea Roth is a great hitter and I knew that when she came to the plate.  I guess I ended up giving her her pitch.  Give her credit for that, she's a great hitter.”
 
Up by one run in the bottom of the sixth, Hay employed clock managements tactics to ensure a trip to the finals for the Comanches.
 
"First of all, I do not think there should ever be a time limit imposed in high school softball,” said Hay.
 
"That being said, in a tournament of this size, it is necessary so that all the tournament games can be played and the tournament is able to run on time.  So, whenever we have a time limit, it is a factor and another element of the game that needs to be coached and controlled.”