Posted: Feb 24, 2026
Comets rally past Jags behind Deal’s hot bat
Southwestern
(8-4, 0-1)
4
Palomar
(10-0, 2-0)
7
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Southwestern | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
|
Palomar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 0 |
SAN MARCOS, CA (2/24/2026) – Trailing by four runs after three innings, the Palomar College softball team faced its largest deficit of the season in Tuesday's Pacific Coast Athletic Conference game against Southwestern.
It was no big deal for the Comets, who rallied behind the sizzling bat of freshman second baseman Kristina Deal to overcome the Jaguars with a 7-4 victory that kept Palomar unbeaten for the season at 10-0. Deal's second home run of the game was a three-run, walk-off blast over the fence in right-center field which ended the contest with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Southwestern, ranked No. 20 in the California Community College Fastpitch Coaches Association state poll, became the first team this season to extend the No. 2-ranked Comets to seven innings. Palomar's first nine wins were all of the run-rule variety.
In Palomar's previous game, a 15-3 romp over Mt. San Jacinto, Deal was 3-for-3 at the plate including a home run and a double worth four RBIs. The West Hills High School product continued to produce with three more hits against Southwestern, including a two-run home run to left field with two out in the bottom of the fourth inning to cut a 4-0 Jaguars lead in half.
With the Comets still trailing 4-2 going to the bottom of the sixth, sophomore center fielder Gisele Gonzalez led off the inning with her second single of the game to left field. Deal followed with a run-scoring double to the left-center gap, and she advanced to third on a single to left by freshman third baseman Ava Alvarez.
Freshman pinch-hitter Emma Schneider then hit a fielder's choice grounder to the right side which scored Deal with the game-tying run.
Sophomore pitcher Kiara Flaviani allowed two runs on three hits in the top of the second inning and two more runs on two hits in the third, but the right-hander settled in and blanked the visitors on one hit over her final four frames. It was the first time this season that Flaviani pitched a seven-inning complete game, and she finished with three walks and two strikeouts while raising her record to 10-0.
A sparkling defensive play in the top of the seventh inning kept the score tied after Southwestern threatened with a one-out walk and a two-out single to right-center field. When the Jaguars batter tried to stretch her single into a double, she was thrown out at second base by freshman right fielder Kailey Dain, who was on target with her relay to sophomore shortstop Nalia Nuanez for the third out of the inning.
Flaviani became the winning pitcher after sophomore left fielder Taylor Armstrong led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a grounder to the right side which was misplayed for an error. Sophomore designated player Lauren Doepping followed with a single up the middle, and with freshman pinch-runners Delaney Smith and Natalie Arendt on base, Deal ended the contest with her second homer of the game and fourth of the season.
Deal finished with six RBIs and has now hit safely in seven consecutive games while raising her team-leading batting average to .720 (18-of-25). Deal's season total of 22 RBIs is second on the team to Doepping's 24 RBIs.
Alvarez and Dain joined Gonzalez with two hits apiece as Palomar finished with 13 hits for its second PCAC win while dropping Southwestern to 8-4 on the season (0-1 in PCAC).
Following a day off, the Comets are scheduled to play three games in three days beginning Thursday with a PCAC contest at No. 18 San Diego Mesa starting at 3 p.m. The Comets will 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. 5 Mt. San Antonio starting at noon.