Comets top Folsom Lake, 4-1, in state opener
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Folsom Lake | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
|
Palomar | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | X | 4 | 6 | 2 |
WALNUT, CA. (5/18/2023) – Palomar College took advantage of three Folsom Lake errors in the bottom of the sixth inning to score three runs and break open a 1-1 tie en route to a 4-1 victory Thursday in the first round of the California Community College Athletic Association State Softball Tournament at Mt. San Antonio College.
Winning pitcher India Caldwell struck out 13 and limited Folsom Lake to three hits as the Comets (41-1) advanced to a second-round game on Friday at 2 p.m. against defending state champion College of San Mateo, a 3-0 winner over Cypress in the final game of the first day of the state tournament.
Palomar, the South No. 1 seed, scored the game's first run in the bottom of the third inning against Folsom Lake, the No. 4 seed from the North. Freshman right fielder Faith Steffany hit a two-out infield single to the right side, and sophomore second baseman Malachy-Russell Millen followed with an RBI double to left-center field for a 1-0 Palomar lead.
The Falcons (21-25) had just two baserunners through four innings before a leadoff single in the fifth followed by a groundout, a stolen base and another single tied the score at 1-1.
Palomar's winning rally in the sixth began with another single to right by Steffany, who advanced to second base two outs later on a throwing error following a lineout to third by freshman third baseman Itzell De Los Rios. A fly ball to left field by sophomore catcher Ellison Hazlett was dropped, allowing Steffany to score the go-ahead run.
The Comets added two more unearned runs when a single to right field by sophomore shortstop Elisa Haas was misplayed, allowing the ball to roll to the fence and two more runs to score. Folsom Lake was guilty of five errors in the contest.
Caldwell struck out the side in the top of the seventh inning to secure her 28th win of the season against one loss. Steffany finished 3-for-3 at the plate for the Comets, who were held to six hits by Falcons pitcher Bella Savala.
In other first-round results at the state tournament, South No. 2 seed Mt. San Antonio shut out North No. 3 seed San Jose City, 8-0; South No. 4 seed Cerritos outlasted North No. 1 seed Sierra, 8-6; and in the nightcap it was North No. 2 seed College of San Mateo blanking South No. 3 seed Cypress, 3-0, to prevent a sweep for SoCal teams in the first round.