Comets take two from Mt. SAC, Santiago Canyon

WALNUT, CA. (3/25/2023) – After having two earlier games against Mt. San Antonio College postponed by rain, Palomar College's top-ranked softball team finally had the opportunity to take on the No. 5-ranked Mounties on Saturday and the Comets came away with a 2-1 victory to keep their season record unblemished. 

Palomar also played Santiago Canyon as part of Saturday's non-conference three-way at Mt. SAC which was re-scheduled from Feb. 25. The Comets defeated the Hawks, 7-2, to improve to 18-0 on the season. 

Sophomore shortstop Elisa Haas was 3-for-4 at the plate in the morning game against Mt. SAC to help support winning pitcher India Caldwell, who limited the Mounties to one run on two hits. The sophomore right-hander walked one and struck out five, retiring the final 13 batters she faced in order after allowing a third-inning run. 

Palomar erased the 1-0 deficit with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth, which began with infield singles by Haas and sophomore catcher Ellison Hazlett. After Hazlett was forced out at second on a grounder by sophomore center fielder Cadee Herrmann, Haas scored when a grounder to shortstop by sophomore left fielder Jonessa Hebreo was misplayed for an error. 

Another error on a ball hit to the pitcher by freshman right fielder Faith Steffany (Rancho Buena Vista HS) loaded the bases for sophomore first baseman Allyson Amato, who delivered a sacrifice fly to right field to score Herrmann with the go-ahead run. 

The loss ended a seven-game win streak for Mt. SAC (15-4), which leads the South Coast Conference with a 7-0 record. 

Palomar overcame a 2-0 deficit in the afternoon contest against Santiago Canyon by scoring three runs in the top of the fifth inning and four in the top of the seventh. Caldwell improved her season record to 14-0 by pitching 4 1/3 innings of relief after Guiliana "Gigi" Clavel started and pitched 2 2/3 innings. 

Haas started the fifth-inning rally with a leadoff triple to right, and she scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Hebreo. A walk to Hazlett, an error on a ball hit to short by Steffany and a stolen base by Steffany preceded a two-run single by Amato which gave Palomar a 3-2 lead. 

The Comets' four-run rally in the seventh began after two outs were recorded. Steffany, Amato and sophomore designated player Aaliyah Rivas all singled to load the bases for sophomore second baseman Malachy Russell-Millen, who was hit by a pitch to drive in a run. Freshman third baseman Itzell De Los Rios then cleared the bases with a triple to right to pad the Palomar lead to 7-2. 

Amato, Rivas and Haas all had two hits apiece in Palomar's second win of the season against Santiago Canyon. 

The Comets have a busy week ahead beginning with a rescheduled Pacific Coast Athletic Conference game against San Diego City on March 27 at Bradley Park. The 2 p.m. contest was originally slated for March 17. Palomar also hosts Orange Coast on March 28 for a non-conference double-header with Game 1 beginning at 12 noon. 

Road games will follow on March 29 at San Diego Mesa and March 30 at Santa Ana.