Murrieta Mesa softball team rallies past JSerra to win Dave Kops Tournament of Champions

Lilly Hauser tossed a four-hitter with 11 strikeouts and scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead the Rams to victory.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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The Murrieta Mesa softball team rallied for a 2-1 victory over JSerra on Saturday to claim the title at the prestigious Dave Kops Tournament of Champions in Bullhead City, Arizona. Lilly Hauser, a senior headed to Arizona, pitched a four-hitter with 11 strikeouts and scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead the Rams to the victory.

Why it matters

This is the sixth time an Inland team has prevailed at the Tournament of Champions, with Norco previously winning in 2009, 2012, 2017, 2019 and 2023. Murrieta Mesa reached the Tournament of Champions final back in 2022 but dropped a 3-1 decision to Villa Park, so this victory is a significant accomplishment for the program.

The details

Saturday's championship between unbeatens was expected to be a pitchers' duel, and Hauser and JSerra's Liliana Escobar did not disappoint. Hauser scattered four hits, allowed one unearned run and struck out 11 batters to pick up the win, while Escobar, a senior who has signed with Florida, took a shutout into the sixth inning and allowed one earned run on five hits while striking out seven. JSerra grabbed the lead in the top of the first inning, but Murrieta Mesa finally broke through in the sixth to tie the game. In the bottom of the seventh, Hauser ripped a single up the middle and scored the winning run on a grounder to first base.

  • The lights on the field went out precisely at 10 p.m. local time, right after Hauser delivered her first pitch of the seventh inning.
  • Murrieta Mesa returns to action Thursday afternoon at home for their Southwestern League opener against Murrieta Valley.

The players

Lilly Hauser

A senior pitcher who is headed to Arizona and tossed a four-hitter with 11 strikeouts, also scoring the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Liliana Escobar

A senior pitcher for JSerra who has signed with Florida, taking a shutout into the sixth inning and allowing one earned run on five hits while striking out seven.

Antonio Romero

The head coach of the Murrieta Mesa softball team.

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What they’re saying

“This is big for our program. This is an elite tournament with great competition. We've been coming here for a few years now and have come up a little short. Winning this one has definitely been a goal of mine.”

— Antonio Romero, Murrieta Mesa head coach (sbsun.com)

“Lilly knows what's she capable of, and she can make big pitches when she needs them. She has grown so much over the past four years. She doesn't let those little things get to her anymore. If something doesn't go her way, she just gets (ticked) off and sees it as a challenge.”

— Antonio Romero, Murrieta Mesa head coach (sbsun.com)

“She's a freak athlete. A real five-tool player. I knew we had a chance to get a run home with her speed on the bases.”

— Antonio Romero, Murrieta Mesa head coach (sbsun.com)

What’s next

Murrieta Mesa returns to action Thursday afternoon at home for their Southwestern League opener against Murrieta Valley.

The takeaway

This victory at the prestigious Dave Kops Tournament of Champions is a significant accomplishment for the Murrieta Mesa softball program, which has been building towards this moment. The team's young core, led by standout pitcher Lilly Hauser, has grown together and proven they can compete with and defeat elite competition from across the region.