CdM players in spotlight

Michelle Tolfa and Holly Van Hiel, who will each be Corona del Mar

High juniors this fall, are competing for their travel softball teams

in this week’s American Softball Association 16-and-under national

championships in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Tolfa, Newport-Mesa Player of the Year last spring, tossed a

three-hitter and added an RBI in the California Raiders’ 5-1 victory

against Mystic Wednesday. The Raiders lost their first game of the

116-team tournament to fall to the consolation bracket.

Van Hiel, who joined Tolfa on the All-Newport-Mesa team last

season, has gone 2 for 6 with a walk while playing second base and

center field for USA Athletics-Trott.

Trott won its first two games, including a 3-0 victory over the

Diamond Dusters, New York’s state champion, before falling, 2-0, to

the Texas Glory in its third game.

Trott and the Raiders, the latter won the under-14 national title

last year, would have to win eight and 15 games, respectively, to

claim the championship, which will be decided Sunday.

Another loss would end both teams’ tournament runs.