Posted: Apr 20, 2017

Comets Even Series; Semon Goes To 9-0

TOP PHOTO: Palomar third baseman Conor McKenna leaps in the air to begin one of his two spectacular plays in the top of the seventh on Saturday. He caught a line drive by Grossmont's Reece Hernandez for the second out of the inning. McKenna then recorded the third out when he appeared to bobble a shot off the bat of Robert Bosted but recovered and gunned him out at first. -- Photo by Philip Farry. Directly Above: Pitcher Ryan Semon, who pitched 4 scoreless relief innings to advance to 9-0 on the season. -- Photo by Hugh Cox

SAN MARCOS (4-20-2017) -- Palomar's freshman left-hander Ryan Semon came out of the bullpen to shut out Grossmont over the last 4 innings and run his win-loss record to 9-0 on Thursday.

Semon lowered his season ERA to 1.40 as the state No. 7-ranked Comets defeated the No. 10 Griffins 4-2 at Palomar College Ballpark to even the teams' Pacific Coast Athletic Conference first-place baseball series at a game apiece.

Palomar (28-7, 18-2) moved back into a first-place tie with the G-House (25-7-1, 18-2) going into the rubber game of the 3-game series at noon Saturday at Grossmont's Noel Mickelsen field. Coach Buck Taylor's club has a chance to win the series 2 games to 1 and take over the undisputed conference lead heading into the last week of the regular season.

The Comets, trailing 1-0 after 3 innings and 2-1 through 5 1/2 innings, pulled even in the bottom of the sixth on walk to Conor McKenna, Gabe Willes' sacrifice bunt and Jared Montoya's single to rightfield that scored McKenna.

After Semon took just 4 pitches to set Grossmont down in the top of the seventh, aided by a pair of spectacular defensive plays by McKenna at third base, Palomar went ahead for the first time in the bottom of the inning.

Cameron Haskell and Grant Buck hit back-to-back doubles to right with two outs. Buck drove in Haskell to put the Comets on top 3-2.

Palomar added an insurance run in the eighth inning on a walk to Willes, Montoya's sac bunt, a walk to Tristan King and Joey Cooper's 2-out double to left-center field that drove in Willes.

Semon set the Griffins down in the top of the ninth on 2 groundballs and a strikeout, and the Comets were back in a tie for first.

Semon relieved Palomar starter Nate Stilinovich, who also pitched effectively, after Stilinovich faced the leadoff batter in the top of the sixth.

Haskell went 2-for-3 and Cooper was 2-for-5 for the Comets. Montoya drove in 2 runs, and King and Marco Young each added a single.

Donavon McCrystal (8-2) was tagged with the loss.

BOX | UNION-TRIBUNE FEATURE ON RYAN SEMON & CONOR McKENNA