No. 12 Palomar Rallies Past San Diego Mesa, Set for Field Dedication Before Southwestern Matchup

SAN MARCOS, CA (3/5/2025) -- The No. 12-ranked Palomar College baseball team continued its strong start in conference play with a 14-7 comeback victory over San Diego Mesa College on Wednesday afternoon. After falling behind 6-3 in the fourth inning, the Comets responded with 11 unanswered runs, fueled by an explosive six-run fifth inning and a shutdown bullpen performance.

Next up, Palomar (11-7, 3-1 PCAC) will host Southwestern College on Saturday at 1 p.m. in a game that will include a special field dedication ceremony honoring former head coach Bob Vetter.

Comets Storm Back for Second Straight Conference Win

San Diego Mesa jumped out to an early lead, scoring two runs in the first inning and adding four more in the fourth, aided by a home run from Frank Giacalone. However, Palomar's offense wasted no time responding, launching a six-run rally in the fifth inning to take control.

Christian Grino ignited the comeback with a two-run double, followed by a two-run single from Braedon Peterson-Cheek to put the Comets ahead 7-6. Adrian Macias and Jacob Loving added RBI hits, capping off the inning and giving Palomar a 9-6 advantage.

The Comets didn't stop there, adding three more runs in the seventh, highlighted by RBI singles from Carter Jorissen and TK Madera. Another insurance run in the eighth put the game out of reach as the bullpen locked down the victory.

Bullpen Shines in Relief

After a challenging start, Palomar's bullpen took over the game, holding Mesa to just one unearned run over the final 5.1 innings.

• Michael Getzinger (2.2 IP) provided crucial stability, allowing no runs on three hits while striking out two.
• Jacob Imoto (2.2 IP) closed out the game, giving up just one unearned run while striking out four.
• Combined, the bullpen limited Mesa to just three hits after the fourth inning.

Key Performances

• Braedon Peterson-Cheek: 2-for-2, 3 RBIs, 2 runs, sac fly
• Christian Grino: 3-for-4, 3 RBIs, 2 doubles, 2 runs
• Carter Jorissen: 1-for-3, 2 RBIs, 2B
• TK Madera: 4-for-5, 2 RBIs, 2 runs
• Adrian Macias: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, 3 runs
• Jacob Imoto: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R (unearned), 4 K

Palomar Set for Field Dedication Before Southwestern Matchup

Before Saturday's game against Southwestern College, Palomar will hold a special field dedication ceremony honoring former head coach Bob Vetter. Vetter, who led the Comets for over two decades, helped build Palomar into one of the state's premier junior college baseball programs. The ceremony will recognize his contributions and officially dedicate the field in his name.

First pitch against Southwestern is set for 1 p.m., with the dedication ceremony taking place beforehand.