Comets prevail to take down Southwestern, 11-3

SAN MARCOS (3/1/2024) – Freshman catcher Kayla Visser went 3-for-4 at the plate, including a game-ending two-run triple as No. 3-ranked Palomar College took sole possession of first place in the Pacific Coast Athletic Association softball standings Friday with an 11-3 triumph over No. 19 Southwestern.

Both teams came into the contest at Bradley Park having won their conference openers two days earlier, and after falling behind by two runs in the first inning, the Comets took the lead with a six-run second inning and went on to improve to 13-1 overall and 2-0 in the PCAC.

"It's always good to get those first conference wins," Palomar coach Lacey Craft said of the convincing victories over Grossmont on Wednesday, 12-2, and Southwestern. "We need to get more games in because it appears more rain is coming."

With impending moisture in the forecast, Palomar postponed its nonconference game against No. 12 Fullerton scheduled for Saturday at Bradley Park, with a rescheduled date yet to be determined. The Comets' next game is slated for March 5 at 2:30 p.m. against No. 11 El Camino at Bradley Park, with PCAC play set to resume the next day at San Diego Mesa.

Visser followed a leadoff single by freshman designated player Isabella De Filippis with an infield single to set the table for Palomar's second-inning rally. After sophomore left fielder Carlee Herrmann was hit by a pitch to load the bases, sophomore right fielder Faith Steffany gave the Comets a 3-2 lead with a two-run single to left field.

Palomar continued to bat around, sending 10 batters to the plate with sophomore third baseman Itzell De Los Rios contributing a two-run single to center. Visser led off the third inning with a single to right and came around to score on a double to left by Steffany, and the Comets sealed the outcome in the sixth with three more runs to account for the final decision.

Freshman first baseman Breanna Lutz led off the sixth with her third single of the game and advanced to third base on a double off the fence in center by De Los Rios. A pinch-hit sacrifice fly by sophomore Mariah Diaz scored one run, and an infield single by sophomore shortstop Tess Altevers-Harris led to Visser's triple to right-center field which gave the hosts the eight-run margin needed for the mercy-run rule.

Lutz and Visser each had three hits and scored twice as the Comets amassed 16 hits to support sophomore pitcher Guilianna "Gigi" Clavel, who blanked the Jaguars over the final five innings after allowing a two-out, two-run home run to Southwestern pitcher Madison Mendez in the first inning. The Jaguars (11-4, 1-1) added another run on three consecutive hits in the third, but Clavel retired the final 11 batters she faced in order to improve to 8-1. She walked one and struck out seven.