Comets tame Wolverines with 19 hits

SAN MARCOS (2/13/2024) – Finally taking the field after additional rain delays, the Palomar College softball team came out swinging against San Bernardino Valley on Tuesday.

The Comets amassed 19 hits on their way to a 15-0 nonconference victory over the Wolverines at Bradley Park. The contest, which was postponed from the previous Saturday, was shortened to five innings after the Comets batted around for the second time in the game for an eight-run outburst in the bottom of the fourth inning.

"We're finally getting some sunshine," said Comets coach Lacey Craft, whose club improved to 5-0 on the season following Palomar's first game in 10 days. "We've been getting a lot of practice in, but we need more games.

"It's exciting to get these non-conference games in this week, because we are inching toward the conference season."

The win over San Bernardino Valley was one of four home games this week for the Comets, who host Santiago Canyon on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. and Antelope Valley on Friday for a doubleheader beginning at 12 noon.

Underclassmen provided much of the firepower for Palomar against the Wolverines. Freshman first baseman Breanna Lutz led the Palomar assault at the plate with a 4-for-4 performance, lifting her batting average to .563 for the season (9-for-16). Lutz hit a run-scoring single and later scored during a six-run second-inning rally, she drove in another run with a two-out double to left field in the third, and she added an RBI single in the fourth.

Freshman second baseman Josephine Heuberger contributed two singles and a sacrifice fly, freshman catcher Kayla Visser had two hits and scored twice, sophomore Sarah Vega came off the bench as a pinch-hitter in the fourth inning and collected two singles in the same inning as the Comets batted around, freshman Lauren Stehly had a two-run pinch-hit single in the fourth, freshman shortstop Tess Altevers-Harris hit an RBI double in the fourth, and freshman designated player Isabella De Filippis provided the biggest hit of the day with her two-run home run to left-center field which scored Maddie Scott and gave the Comets their first runs of the game.

Benefitting from the offensive fireworks was freshman pitcher Nevaeh Haywood, who pitched four scoreless innings and combined on a three-hit shutout with freshman Samantha Saldivar. Haywood picked up her second win of the season, allowing two singles and no walks while striking out two.