Posted: Feb 14, 2025
Comets sweep Marauders from unbeaten ranks
Palomar
(5-2)
9
Antelope Valley
(8-1)
3
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Palomar | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 15 | 0 |
|
Antelope Valley | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
LANCASTER, CA (2/14/2025) – Leaving soggy San Marcos for a road trip to the windy High Desert, the Palomar College softball team had a triumphant journey Friday with a nonconference doubleheader sweep of Antelope Valley College as the Comets followed a 10-0 whitewash in the opener with a 9-3 victory in the nightcap.
Sophomore left-hander Maddie Bedolla pitched a five-inning shutout in Game 1 for her second win of the season, and freshman third baseman Zoe Karam hit a home run in both games as Palomar improved its record to 6-2.
The losses were the first of the season for Antelope Valley (8-2) after the Marauders won their first eight games out of the gate.
The Comets wasted little time getting on the scoreboard in the first game of the twinbill, taking advantage of three Antelope Valley errors and singles by freshman first baseman Alexis Huey and freshman designated player Lauren Doepping to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
Palomar extended its lead to 5-0 in the third inning on a two-out, two-run pinch single by sophomore Julianna Rocha and a run-scoring single by freshman shortstop Nalia Nuanez. The Comets made it 7-0 in the fourth on another AVC error and a two-run home run by Karam, her first round-tripper of the season.
Following a leadoff double to start the fifth by freshman center fielder Gisele Gonzalez, a pinch-hit, RBI double by sophomore Breanna Lutz in the fifth inning gave the visitors the eighth run they needed for the mercy rule to take effect.
Another double by sophomore second baseman Josephine Heuberger, Huey's second single of the game and a run-scoring fielder's choice groundout by Karam led to two more runs and the final 10-run margin.
Nine Palomar batters had at least one of Palomar's 10 hits.
Bedolla blanked the Marauders on five hits with two walks and a season-high 11 strikeouts for her second win of the season. The most serious scoring threat by hosts came in the bottom of the fourth inning when AVC had runners at second and third with one out, but a flyout and a strikeout kept the Marauders off the scoreboard.
A solo home run by Karam with two out in the top of the first inning gave Palomar another early lead in Game 2, but the Marauders countered with a solo home run in the bottom of the first and a two-run homer in the second to assume a 3-1 advantage.
The deficit didn't last long for the Comets, who responded by batting around for a six-run rally in the third inning. Nuanez bookended the inning by igniting the outburst with a leadoff single and capping the rally with a run-scoring single. Palomar had nine hits in the inning, including a two-run double by Karam.
A single by Karam preceded a two-run home run by sophomore catcher Isabella De Filippis in the fourth inning, extending the Palomar lead to 9-3. The homer was the first of the season for De Filippis.
Bedolla started the nightcap and pitched 2 1/3 innings before yielding to sophomore right-hander Nevaeh Haywood. Bedolla allowed three runs on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
Haywood worked 4 2/3 scoreless innings in relief and picked up the win to improve her record to 4-2. She allowed three hits and one walk.
At the plate, the Comets pounded out 15 hits, including a home run, two doubles and a single by Karam; a home run and two singles by De Filippis; and two singles apiece by Nuanez and freshman left fielder Taylor Armstrong.
The Comets return home Feb. 19 to host Santa Ana at 2 p.m.