Posted: Feb 26, 2026
Comets subdue Mesa in extra innings, 7-6
Palomar
(10-0, 2-0)
7
San Diego Mesa
(9-3, 2-0)
6
| Final (8) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Palomar | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 0 |
|
San Diego Mesa | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 1 |
SAN DIEGO, CA (2/26/2026) – One game after being extended to seven innings for the first time in 10 outings, the Palomar College softball team survived its first extra-inning experience of the season.
A two-out single to left field by freshman second baseman Kristina Deal brought sophomore pinch-runner Emily Wright around to score the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning as the Comets outlasted San Diego Mesa, 7-6, in Thursday's Pacific Coast Athletic Conference contest.
The victory kept the Comets unbeaten at 11-0 overall and 3-0 in PCAC play. San Diego Mesa, ranked No. 19 in the latest California Community College Fastpitch Coaches Association state poll, fell to 9-4 and 2-1.
Palomar, which has been ranked No. 2 in the state poll since the start of the season, jumped out to a 2-0 first-inning lead at Mesa on the strength of a two-run home run by sophomore designated player Lauren Doepping. The homer was the team-leading eighth of the season and the sixth home run in six games for Doepping, who earlier this week was named the state's CCCFCA Player of the Week.
The Olympians quickly erased the 2-0 deficit with three runs in the bottom of the first inning, hitting two home runs off Palomar starting pitcher Kiara Flaviani. The Comets countered with one run in the second inning on a two-out walk by sophomore shortstop Nalia Nuanez and a double by freshman right fielder Kailey Dain and two more in the third on a two-run home run by sophomore center fielder Gisele Gonzalez, her first of the season.
Mesa kept pace with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings as the score remained tied at 5-5 going into the seventh inning.
Flaviani had been relieved with two out and two on for Mesa in the bottom of the fourth inning by freshman Gianna Burgin, who was making her first appearance of the season. Burgin finished the fourth and pitched the fifth inning before being relieved by sophomore Hailey White in the sixth. White retired two batters before Flaviani returned to the circle and finished the game.
Gonzalez led off the Comets' half of the seventh with a double and she advanced to third on a single by Deal before scoring on a sacrifice fly to center field by freshman third baseman Ava Alvarez, giving the visitors a 6-5 lead.
Mesa tied the score again on back-to-back doubles to start the bottom of the seventh, and the Olympians added a walk and a single to load the bases with one out against Flaviani. The sophomore right-hander responded by retiring the next two batters on a strikeout looking and an infield groundout to keep the score tied.
After Palomar scored the go-ahead run in the eighth, Flaviani retired the side in the bottom of the inning on two fly balls to the outfield and a strikeout to seal her 11th win against no losses.
Sophomore first baseman Alexis Huey had three of Palomar's 10 hits, including a leadoff double which preceded Doepping's first-inning homer and another leadoff double to start Palomar's eighth-inning rally. Gonzalez and Deal each finished with two hits.
The Comets travel to Orange Coast on Friday for a nonconference game against the Pirates at 2 p.m. before returning home Saturday for another nonconference tilt against No. 4 Mt. San Antonio starting at noon.