Palomar scores three runs late to defeat Folsom Lake, 4-1
India Caldwell led the Comets with 13 strikeouts
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
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0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | X | 4 | 6 | 2 |
WALNUT, CA — South No. 1 Seed Palomar took advantage of an error-riddled sixth inning, scoring three runs en route to a 4-1 win over North No. 4 Seed Folsom Lake in the third game of the 3C2A Softball State Championships Thursday at Mt. SAC.
With the score tied, 1-1, in the bottom of the sixth inning, the floodgates opened for Palomar in what was a pitchers' dual through the first five innings. The Comets (41-1) took advantage of three Folsom Lake (21-25) errors to score three runs and take a 4-1 lead.
After Faith Steffany, who had three hits in the game, opened the inning with a single, she advanced to second on a throwing error and came home to break the 1-1 tie on the first of two consecutive fielding errors by the Falcons. Palomar catcher Ellison Hazlett reached next on a fielding error. That brought up Elisa Haas who singled to left, a fielding error on the play scored Hazlett and sent Hass around the bases to put the score at 4-1.
Postgame with Palomar Head Coach Lacey Craft pic.twitter.com/KWV1EXnB3e
— 3CFCA (@3CFCA) May 19, 2023
Palomar pitcher India Caldwell (28-1) finished the game with a season-high 13 strikeouts, just one short of her career best, with one earned run and just three hits. She struck out the side in the top of the seventh to end the game.
Postgame with Palomar pitcher India Caldwell, 13Ks pic.twitter.com/Dk3B68UvM6
— 3CFCA (@3CFCA) May 19, 2023
Falcons pitcher Isabella Savala (11-10) did her part to keep her squad in the game and matched Caldwell with just one earned run while holding the Comets to just six hits. She kept Palomar off the scoreboard in both the second and fourth innings with the Comets in scoring position.
Palomar took the first lead of the game in the third inning after Steffany singled with two outs and scored on a double by Malachy Russell-Millen.
Folsom Lake tied the game in the fifth inning on a leadoff single by Araceli Jaimes to left center. She scored three batters later on a single to right by center fielder Elizabeth Wylie.
Palomar will face North No. 2 Seed San Mateo tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Mt. SAC and Folsom Lake will face South No. 3 Seed Cypress in an elimination tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Citrus College.
(John M. Sherrard, 3C2A)
