Posted: Apr 22, 2025
Top-ranked Comets rout Griffins, finish unbeaten in PCAC
Grossmont
(12-25, 3-12)
0
Palomar
(36-3, 15-0)
9
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Grossmont | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
|
Palomar | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | X | 9 | 6 | 0 |
SAN MARCOS, CA (4/22/2025) – Nevaeh Haywood pitched three perfect innings in her final regular-season start, and she and two relief pitchers combined for a two-hit shutout as the Palomar College softball team wrapped up its third straight unbeaten Pacific Coast Athletic Conference campaign Tuesday with a 9-0 whitewash of Grossmont College.
The Comets took advantage of 10 walks issued by three Grossmont pitchers while finishing the PCAC season with a 15-0 record. Palomar has now won 11 straight conference titles and 41 consecutive conference games dating back to the 2022 season.
Moving up one spot to No. 1 in the latest California Community College Fastpitch Coaches Association poll released Tuesday, the Comets will take a 36-3 overall record and an 11-game win streak into the CCCAA Southern California Regional playoffs which begin May 2 with the best-of-three series format. Palomar will be hosting a team to be determined once the 18-team Regional bracket is revealed at the end-of-season seeding meeting.
Haywood retired all nine batters she faced, striking out three. The sophomore right-hander fanned the final two batters of the third inning and received more than enough support to improve to 16-2 on the season.
The Comets gave Haywood a 4-0 lead after two innings, taking advantage of three walks and a two-run single to right field by freshman designated hitter Lauren Doepping to stroll to a 2-0 advantage in the opening frame.
Sophomore catcher Kayla Visser coaxed the first of her three free passes to start the bottom of the second inning and came around to score when a sacrifice bunt by freshman shortstop Nalia Nuanez was thrown away for an infield error by the Griffins. Nuanez reached third on the miscue and scored on a double to left-center field by sophomore third baseman Breanna Lutz.
After stranding two baserunners in the third, the hosts pulled away with a five-run fourth-inning rally fueled by five walks and four hits. Sophomore first baseman Zoe Karam had an RBI double to right, freshman first baseman Alexis Huey and freshman left fielder Taylor Armstrong each provided run-scoring singles, and freshman center fielder Gisele Gonzalez and freshman pinch-hitter Samantha Garcia each drew bases-loaded walks to drive in the runs necessary for the mercy-run rule to take effect.
Freshman pitcher Kiara Flaviani took over in the circle for Haywood in the top of the fourth inning and retired three batters on three lineouts before freshman Hailey White relieved Flaviani to start the fifth. White retired the first two batters before the visitors managed a minor uprising with their only two baserunners of the game on a single and double.
White retired the next batter on a groundout to sophomore second baseman Josephine Heuberger to secure the shutout, Palomar's 18th of the season. With its third loss in as many games against the Comets, Grossmont finished its season at 12-25 overall and 3-12 in conference. The Griffins failed to score in the three games against the PCAC champions.