Comets in state final after rallying past Cerritos

WALNUT, CA. (5/20/2023) – Overcoming a 3-1 deficit, Palomar College rallied for three runs in the fifth inning and added an insurance run in the sixth to post a 5-3 victory over Cerritos in Saturday's third-round winners-bracket contest at the California Community College Athletic Association State Softball Tournament at Mt. San Antonio College. 

The Comets (43-1) will be playing for the sixth state championship in program history on Sunday against nine-time state champion Cypress, which won a pair of losers-bracket games Saturday against College of San Mateo, 12-4, and Cerritos, 5-1. Sunday's title game is set for 12 noon. 

Cerritos (33-16) took a 3-1 lead over the Comets after three innings on the strength of two home runs by Jazmine Macias. Palomar scored its first run in the bottom of the second on a two-out single by sophomore center fielder Cadee Herrmann, who stole second base and scored when a grounder to second by freshman right fielder Faith Steffany was thrown away for an error. 

A solo home run by Macias in the third gave the Falcons a two-run lead again, but Palomar mounted another two-out rally in the fifth, beginning when sophomore catcher Ellison Hazlett was hit by a pitch. Sophomore shortstop Elisa Haas followed with a walk, and Hermann connected on a single to left-center field to score Hazlett. 

Sophomore left fielder Jonessa Hebreo hit a single to right field to score Haas with the game-tying run, and sophomore first baseman Allyson Amato followed with her first hit of the tournament, a single up the middle to score Herrmann for a 4-3 Comets lead. 

Freshman right fielder Faith Steffany started the sixth inning with a leadoff single to right-center, and she advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore second baseman Malachy Russell-Millen. After taking third on a wild pitch, Steffany scored on a single up the middle by freshman third baseman Itzell De Los Rios to stretch the Palomar lead to 5-3. 

Winning pitcher India Caldwell walked the leadoff batter in the top of the seventh but retired the next three batters to notch her 30^th win of the season against one loss. She allowed five hits and two walks while striking out five batters. 

Caldwell was supported by a 12-hit attack which included six hits from the bottom third of the Comets' batting order. Herrmann provided three hits, Hebreo had two and Hass added a single. Steffany contributed a pair of singles to give her six hits in three state tournament games.