
Comets shine once more before season-ending loss
SARATOGA, CA. (5/17/2024) – After keeping its championship hopes alive with a morning victory over Sierra College, the Palomar College softball team had its 2024 season ended Friday night by a 7-1 loss to defending state champion Cypress in an elimination game at the California Community College Athletic Association State Championship hosted by West Valley College.
Earlier in the day, Palomar claimed its 40th victory of the season in dramatic fashion with a 4-3 win over Sierra in the morning elimination game at San Jose City College. Guilianna "GiGi" Clavel was the winning pitcher with a complete game against Sierra before the loss against Cypress gave the sophomore right-hander a final season record of 28-6.
The Comets finished 40-6 overall, with their only run against Cypress (39-8) scoring in the fourth inning on a walk to Clavel, singles by freshman right fielder Lauren Stehly and sophomore left fielder Mariah Diaz, and an RBI groundout by sophomore center fielder Maddie Scott.
Stehly had two of Palomar's six hits against the Chargers, the No. 2 seed from the South Region.
Facing a win-or-go-home situation earlier against Sierra, the score was tied 3-3 going into the bottom of the seventh inning. Freshman second baseman Josephine Heuberger doubled down the first-base line to lead off the inning and she came around to score the game-winning run when Lutz doubled to left, keeping the Comets alive in the eight-team, double-elimination tournament.
Sierra, the No. 4 seed from the North Region, finished its season with a 20-26 record.
Palomar, the No. 3 seed from the South, took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning when sophomore right fielder Faith Steffany beat out a bunt single, stole second base, was sacrificed to third by Diaz and scored on a single to right by Scott.
Sierra claimed a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth on a leadoff solo home run, an infield error, a walk and a two-out run-scoring single.
Still trailing by one run going into the bottom of the fifth, the Comets rallied to re-take the lead behind a two-out infield single to shortstop by Lutz followed by a two-run home run to left by sophomore third baseman Itzell De Los Rios.
The Wolverines tied the game in the sixth inning by stringing together two infield singles, a walk and another infield single with two out to knot the score at 3-3. Two more batters reached base in the top of the seventh for Sierra, but a leadoff walk was erased when an attempt at a stolen base resulted in a pickoff throw to second base by freshman catcher Shelbie Van Slyke. An infield single led to a 5-4-3 double play turned by De Los Rios and Heuberger when the baserunner was called out for interference.
Lutz had two hits, including her 24th double of the season. De Los Rios also had a pair of hits, and the home run was her fifth of the season.
Clavel allowed one earned run on eight hits in seven innings of work in the circle. She walked two and struck out five in addition to hitting a double at the plate.