Saturday evening at the Michelle Carew Classic in Anaheim Hills, Calif., the top rated team in the Full Count Softball FAB 50, Mission Viejo (Calif.), rolled on with a 7-0 win over Cypress in the quarterfinals.

However, it was the way the Diablos ran their record to 15-0 that was significant.

Pitcher Taylor McQuillin and outfielder Alyssa Palomino—both seniors signed with Arizona and each a member of the USA Today Preseason All-American team—had huge games and set personal milestones.

Taylor pitched a no-hitter while striking out 16 batters and was just one walk away from a perfect game.

The senior hit a huge personal mark also as she surpassed the 1,000 career strikeout total (she now sits at 1,005). Last year’s Gatorade National Player of the Year also ran her record to 15-0.

“My riseball was really working today and I was able to place it where I wanted,” she said after the game. “My curve was good too.”

Helping her cause, she slugged a no-doubt-about-it home run over the right-field fence, one of three Mission Viejo hit in the win, the others coming from catcher Terra McGowan (2018, Arizona State) and Palomino.

Alyssa had a huge game, going 3-for-4 with a home run, triple, single and two RBI.

More significantly, it was her 50^th home run of her prep career and puts her three short of the state record shared by three players: Baillie Kirker (Crescenta Valley, La Crescenta), Darian Tautalafua (Carson) and Alia Williams (Crenshaw, Los Angeles).

The outfielder, who was chosen to play this summer on the U.S. Junior National Team, hit seven home runs her freshman year, 18 as a sophomore, 17 last season and has eight so far this spring with more than half of the season remaining.

“When I was coming into high school, I never though I was going to be doing any of this” she said shortly after the win. “I just go out there and hit.”

Mission Viejo has a chance to win two more games today and, if so, would win the Carew Classic but it won’t be easy.

At 1:30 pm PST, the Diablos will face a rematch with Yucaipa in the semis after squeaking out a 1-0 thriller in the championship game of the Tournament of Champions in Bullhead City, Ariz. on March 14.

In that title win McQuillin threw a three hitter with 11 strikeouts, but Nevada signee Brooke Bolinger was tough as well.

At the same time Mission Viejo was winning at one field at Peralta Park, Bolinger was throwing her own no-hitter against Amador Valley of Pleasanton, who won last year’s Carew Classic behind current UCLA freshman pitcher Johanna Grauer.

Bollinger struck out eight and outdueled standout freshman Danielle Williams (Missouri commit) who struck out 12 but gave up a two-run single to Maddy Marvulli in the second inning.

On the other side of the bracket, Canyon of Anaheim (14-3) advanced to the semis by knocking off Vista Murrieta of Murrieta behind a complete game 5-1 win by Utah signee Hailey Hilburn who scattered four hits while striking out eight.

Poway (13-3) also moved forward behind equally strong pitching as Kourtney Shaw, a senior signed with Cal, threw a one-hitter and struck out six in the five inning shortened game.

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Here’s the schedule for the Winner’s Bracket for today:

Semi-Finals

• Mission Viejo vs. Yucaipa (1:30 pm PST)
• Canyon (Anaheim) vs. Poway

Championship

• Mission Viejo/Yucaipa winner vs. Canyon/Poway winner (7:30 pm PST)