Stephens, Halter deliver in winner-take-all game as Comets punch ticket to state tournament
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Santa Barbara | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
|
Palomar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | X | 9 | 10 | 0 |
SAN MARCOS, CA (5/17/2026) -- When it came down to one game, the No. 1 seed Palomar College Comets were exactly who they've been all season. Elijah Stephens delivered a grand slam to break the game open, the pitching staff shut out No. 14 Santa Barbara City College for nine innings, and Palomar advanced to the 3C2A State Tournament with a 9-0 victory Sunday at Bob Vetter Field. The Comets are headed to Great Park in Irvine — their fourth state tournament appearance in program history and second since 2022.
The game was scoreless through three innings before Palomar found its opening in the fourth. Jacob Loving singled and Rainn McMillan followed with a hit to put two on, and Adrian Macias drove in the first run with a single. Then Stephens stepped in with the bases loaded and cleared them. His grand slam made it 5-0 and left no doubt about where the game was headed.
The sixth inning added four more. Braedon Peterson-Cheek singled and reached second on a Vaqueros error, Stephens was intentionally walked, and Michael Rodda grounded in a run. Loving then singled home two more, and McMillan drove in Conklin to cap a four-run frame that made the final margin emphatic. Santa Barbara intentionally walked Stephens in the inning, a testament to the respect he had earned by that point.
Stephens finished 2-for-4 with four RBI. Loving went 3-for-4 with two RBI, McMillan went 3-for-3 with an RBI, and Macias added a run-scoring single to round out an offense that never needed more than it got from the pitching staff.
Ryan Herrod started and was sharp through four scoreless innings before Angel Barron took over and was equally untouchable, retiring all six batters he faced with three strikeouts to earn the win. Joey Halter closed the final three innings in dominant fashion, striking out six of the nine batters he faced. The trio combined to allow just five hits and no runs, a fitting performance for a staff that has been the backbone of this postseason run.
Santa Barbara finished 29-18 on the season. The Vaqueros were a worthy opponent whose season ended one win short of states.
Palomar is now 41-5 and headed to the 3C2A State Tournament at Great Park in Irvine. Tournament schedule and bracket information will be announced by the 3C2A.