Posted: Apr 16, 2026
Gonzalez, Huey power Comets past Desert Warriors
Imperial Valley
(14-20-1, 2-12)
1
Palomar
(34-1, 14-0)
18
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Imperial Valley | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 |
|
Palomar | 8 | 6 | 3 | 1 | X | 18 | 18 | 1 |
SAN MARCOS, CA (4/16/2026) – Gisele Gonzalez drove in four runs with three hits, including a pair of home runs, and Alexis Huey took over the state lead in home runs with her 19th of the season as the Palomar College softball team remained unbeaten in conference play Thursday with an 18-1 romp over Imperial Valley College.
Half of Palomar's 18 hits went for extra bases as the Comets emphatically erased an early 1-0 deficit in their final home game of the regular season. Batting around in both the first and second innings, Palomar rolled to its 22nd consecutive win while improving to 14-0 in the Pacific Coast Athletic Association and 34-1 overall with the run-rule victory in five innings. The state's No. 2-ranked team already has its 12th straight conference championship wrapped up with one PCAC contest remaining next week at San Diego City College.
Gonzalez, a sophomore center fielder, drove in the Comets' first two runs of the game with a two-run single to center field in the bottom of the first inning. Palomar went on to send 13 batters to the plate in the opening frame, which began with a leadoff walk to Huey. The sophomore first baseman drove in the final two runs of the eight-run outburst with a two-run blast over the center-field fence, breaking a tie for the state lead in home runs with Cuesta's Addy Finegan and extending Huey's season school record.
Freshman second baseman Kristina Deal also drove in two runs during the first-inning barrage with a double to center field, and Deal added another run-scoring double during the Comets' six-run rally in the second inning. Gonzalez hit a leadoff home run to left field to start the second, Huey added an RBI single to right, and sophomore designated player Lauren Doepping hit a two-out, bases-loaded double to right-center field to score three more runs for a 14-1 Palomar lead.
The hosts began the bottom of the third inning with four straight hits, including a double by sophomore left fielder Taylor Armstrong, a single by freshman second baseman Tyler Krystek, a two-run triple to right-center field by freshman pinch-hitter Delaney Smith, and a run-scoring single by sophomore shortstop Aubrey Thorne.
Gonzalez capped the scoring when she hit the first pitch she saw leading off the fourth over the left-field fence for her second home run of the game and fourth of the season.
For the third straight game, Palomar employed three pitchers in the circle. Sophomore right-hander Haley White, who earned her first save of the season five days earlier in a 2-1 win over Fullerton, started in the circle against Imperial Valley and pitched three innings to pick up her third win of the season in as many decisions. After allowing a first-inning run on two singles and a sacrifice fly, White blanked the Desert Warriors on two singles over the next two innings.
Freshman right-hander Leasivao "Cali" Sauileone made her third appearance of the season and pitched a scoreless fourth inning, allowing two singles with two strikeouts. Another freshman right-hander, Gianna Burgin, closed out the game in the fifth with a scoreless inning which included a hit batter, one walk and two strikeouts as Imperial Valley dropped to 2-12 in conference play and 14-20-1 overall with its third loss to Palomar in as many games this season.
Gonzalez and Armstrong each scored three runs and combined for six hits at the plate, including the two homers by Gonzalez and a pair of doubles by Armstrong. Huey, Deal and freshman right fielder Kailey Dain all provided two hits apiece.
The Comets go on the road April 18 to Santa Clarita for a nonconference doubleheader at College of the Canyons starting at 1 pm. before closing out the regular season April 21 with its final PCAC contest at San Diego City at 3 p.m.
Postseason play begins May 1-2 for the 3C2A Southern California Regionals, with eight teams hosting best-of-3 series for the first round. The Super Regionals will be held the following weekend, and the top four teams from the South and the top four from Northern California will converge May 14-17 at Bakersfield College for the state championship tournament.