Comets sweep Canyons, await stretch run

SANTA CLARITA, CA. (4/20/2024) – The final weekend of the regular season proved to be a productive one for the Palomar College softball team, which swept a nonconference doubleheader at College of the Canyons on Saturday.

The Comets claimed a 4-2 triumph in the opener before rolling to an 18-5 win over the Cougars in the nightcap to improve to 33-3 on the season. The losses left College of the Canyons at 16-22.

Palomar, ranked No. 5 in the current 3C2A state poll, took advantage of 11 walks during its Game 1 victory, beginning in the top of the first inning when freshman first baseman Breanna Lutz and sophomore center fielder Maddie Scott each drew free passes with one out. A run-scoring single to the right side by sophomore pitcher Guilianna "Gigi" Clavel chased home Lutz for an early 1-0 lead for the Comets.

Lutz gave the visitors a 2-0 lead in the second inning when her double to center field scored sophomore left fielder Carlee Herrmann, who was aboard on a fielder's choice. The Palomar lead remained just two runs through the fifth inning before Herrmann walked to lead off the sixth, advanced to second on a passed ball, took third on a groundout by freshman second baseman Josephine Heuberger and scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Scott for a 3-0 advantage.

Sophomore right fielder Faith Steffany added another insurance run in the seventh when she beat out an infield single to shortstop, advanced to third on a single by sophomore third baseman Itzell De Los Rios and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Heuberger. De Los Rios and Clavel had two hits apiece for the Comets, who finished with seven hits and left 14 runners on base.

Clavel was one out away from pitching her 10^th shutout of the season before allowing a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning, accounting for the Cougars' only runs. The Palomar right-hander improved her record to 22-3 with the complete game while allowing seven hits with two walks and nine strikeouts.

An eight-run first inning propelled the Comets to victory in Game 2 of the twinbill. Palomar added three runs in the second inning, four in the fourth and three in the fifth to wrap up the mercy-rule win.

Freshman catcher Kayla Visser was 3-for-3 at the plate for Palomar. She doubled in the first inning and scored on a two-run single by Heuberger as the Comets sent 12 batters to the plate in the opening frame. Visser added a two-run single in the second inning and an infield single in the fourth before scoring on a bases-loaded walk by Lutz.

Heuberger and Steffany added two hits apiece to help pace a 13-hit attack for the winners. Lutz hit an RBI double in her second plate appearance of the first inning, giving her a team-leading 18 two-base hits for the season.

Freshman right-hander Nevaeh Haywood started in the circle and pitched four innings for her 11^th win in as many decisions. Haywood allowed five runs on seven hits with no walks and four strikeouts. Freshman left-hander Maddie Bedolla spun a perfect fifth inning to secure the victory.

The Comets have three regular-season games remaining on their schedule. Palomar closes out Pacific Coast Athletic Conference play on Tuesday at San Diego City with a 3 p.m. contest before hosting a pair of non-conference rain make-up games on Wednesday against top-ranked Fullerton at 2:30 p.m. and Thursday against No. 18 Cerritos at 2 p.m.

The 3C2A playoffs begin May 3 with the Southern California Regionals, and the eight-team state tournament is slated for May 16-19 at West Valley College in Sarasota.