Top-ranked Hornets stifle Comets, 5-2

SAN MARCOS (4/24/2024) – The state's No. 1-ranked community college softball team showed on Wednesday that it is worthy of its ranking when Fullerton College posted a 5-2 victory over No. 5 Palomar, handing the host Comets just their fourth loss of the season in 38 games.

The Hornets broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the top of the fourth inning and went on to improve to 35-4 on the season with the nonconference win.

"These are the kind of games we need to play to be ready for the playoffs," said Palomar coach Lacey Craft. "We might have not been playing any games this week, but with the make-up games against teams like Fullerton and Cerritos, we can have that playoff atmosphere."

The Comets close out the regular season Thursday at home with a nonconference contest against No. 18 Cerritos. The 10-time defending Pacific Coast Athletic Conference champions will host a best-of-3 opening-round series when the 3C2A playoffs begin May 3 with the Southern California Regionals.  

An error and a double led to an unearned first-inning run for Fullerton, but Palomar responded in the bottom of the first when freshman second baseman Josephine Heuberger hit a leadoff double to the gap in left-center field and scored on a two-out single to right by sophomore third baseman Itzell De Los Rios.

The score remained 1-1 until a walk and four singles in the fourth inning produced three runs and a 4-1 lead for the visitors. Palomar closed the deficit to 4-2 in the sixth inning when De Los Rios doubled to right-center for her third hit of the game, advanced on a single to right by sophomore designated player Mariah Diaz and scored on a single to center by sophomore right fielder Faith Steffany.

The Hornets added an insurance run in the seventh inning with a double and a single to wrap up the victory for the Orange Empire Conference champions.

Sophomore pitcher Guilianna "Gigi" Clavel started in the circle for the Comets and allowed four runs on seven hits in four innings, absorbing the loss which dropped her record to 22-4. Freshman Nevaeh Haywood relieved in the fifth and worked three innings, allowing one run on four hits.

Fullerton starting pitcher Macy Brandl went the distance and limited the Comets to seven hits while improving her record to 19-2. The Hornets also defeated Palomar in February, accounting for half of Palomar's losses this season.