Another fast start carries Comets past Mesa

SAN DIEGO (3/29/2023) – For the second straight game, Palomar College used a big first inning to coast to another softball victory. 

The No. 1-ranked Comets scored eight runs in the top of the first inning Wednesday and went on to defeat host San Diego Mesa, 15-2, in a Pacific Coast Athletic Conference contest. The previous day, Palomar scored 10 first-inning runs in the second game of a doubleheader against Orange Coast, which the Comets swept. 

The win over Mesa, shortened to five innings by the mercy-run rule, continued Palomar's unbeaten start to the season as the Comets ran their record to 22-0 overall and 6-0 in conference play. Sophomore third baseman Aaliyah Rivas clouted two home runs, giving her 10 for the season to lead the team. 

Palomar needed only four hits to put eight runs on the scoreboard in the first as Mesa (8-11, 4-2) contributed four walks, a hit batsman, two errors and three wild pitches. The big hit for the Comets was a two-out, two-run double by freshman right fielder Faith Steffany (Rancho Buena Vista HS). 

Sophomore catcher Ellison Hazlett walked with one out in the second inning, stole second base and scored on an RBI single by sophomore left fielder Jonessa Hebreo, and the Comets added two more runs in the third on a triple by Steffany, a run-scoring groundout to third by sophomore first baseman Allyson Amato and a solo home run by Rivas. 

RBI singles by freshman left fielder Carlee Herrmann and Steffany and a two-run homer by Rivas led to four fourth-inning runs for Palomar, which was playing its seventh game in six days. 

Sophomore pitcher India Caldwell allowed two first-inning runs and then blanked the Olympians over the next four frames. She allowed three hits, three walks and a hit batsman while striking out eight batters to improve her season record to 16-0. 

The Comets were scheduled to play a nonconference game on Thursday at Santa Ana, but the contest, already rescheduled from March 2 because of rain, was rained out again and rescheduled for April 5. Palomar originally had a home game against Imperial Valley scheduled for April 5, but that contest has been moved to April 26 as part of a doubleheader at IVC. 

Palomar's next home game is a rescheduled nonconference contest against Mt. San Jacinto on April 6 at Bradley Park with the first pitch at 2 p.m.