Posted: Mar 07, 2026
Huey, Doepping ignite Comets’ sweep of Renegades
Bakersfield
(10-10)
3
Palomar
(16-1)
12
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bakersfield | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
|
Palomar | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | X | 12 | 15 | 1 |
SAN MARCOS, CA (3/7/2026) – On the front lines, Alexis Huey and Lauren Doepping continued to provide the power.
And when it came time for the second wave, the bench was glad to oblige.
Those game plans proved to be successful again for the Palomar College softball team on Saturday when the Comets swept a nonconference doubleheader from Bakersfield College. Huey and Doepping combined for four home runs in the two games as Palomar benefitted from a late big inning for 10-2 victory in the opener before using an early big inning as a springboard to a 12-3 triumph in the nightcap.
The two wins boosted the Comets' record to 16-1 for the No. 3-ranked team in the state, but the first game of the twinbill was going Bakersfield's way before Palomar erupted for nine runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to bring on a sudden end to the contest with the mercy-run rule.
Doepping capped the big two-out rally in dramatic fashion when the sophomore designated player clouted a 2-and-2 pitch for a grand-slam home run to left-center field, accounting for the eight-run margin required for an early end to the game. Prior to the winning rally, Bakersfield had a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the sixth inning.
The only Palomar run prior to the sixth was provided by Huey when the sophomore first baseman lined a solo home run to left field with one out in the bottom of the third inning. After Huey's homer, the Comets had only one baserunner and did not threaten to score until the sixth inning.
The Renegades, meanwhile, took the lead in the top of the fifth inning after being held scoreless on two hits over the first four innings by Palomar pitcher Kiara Flaviani. The first four Bakersfield batters reached base with singles to start the fifth, producing a 2-1 advantage for the visitors.
Flaviani retired the next six batters in order to finish off the fifth and sixth innings, but the Renegades were still just six outs away from extending a five-game winning streak until Palomar sent 11 batters to the plate in the decisive home half of the sixth.
Freshman right fielder Kailey Dain drew a leadoff walk to start the winning rally, and Doepping reached base when her short fly ball to right was misplayed for an error. The next two Palomar batters were retired, but with freshman Penelope Morales coming off the bench as a pinch-runner for Doepping, it was Dain and Morales pulling off a double steal.
When the Bakersfield catcher attempted to throw out Dain at third, the throw sailed into left field for an error, allowing Dain to score the game-tying run. Sophomore left fielder Taylor Armstrong then followed through with her second hit of the game, a double to left field which scored Morales with the go-ahead run.
The Comets were not done there as freshman third baseman Ava Alvarez walked and the next two batters came off the bench to provide pinch hits. Freshman Emma Schneider doubled to left to score Armstrong, and Alvarez and Schneider came around to score on a two-run single to right by sophomore Grace McNally.
After freshman Emily Wright came in to pinch run for McNally, the Comets loaded the bases on singles by Huey and Dain to set the stage for Doepping, whose ninth home run of the season came in walk-off fashion and surpassed her total of eight home runs last year as a freshman.
All nine sixth-inning runs were unearned and all were scored after two outs as the rally allowed Flaviani to earn the win after allowing two runs on six hits with two walks, one hit batter and five strikeouts.
The Comets finished with 10 hits, including two apiece by Huey, Dain and Armstrong.
Huey set the tone for the second game of the doubleheader when she led off the bottom of the first inning with her second home run of the day to left for a quick 1-0 Palomar lead. One out later, seven consecutive batters reached base for the Comets, highlighted by a bases-loaded double to right-center field by Alvarez which brought in three runs.
For the second consecutive inning over two games, Palomar sent 11 batters to the plate, this time scoring six runs on six hits.
Singles by Doepping, sophomore center fielder Gisele Gonzalez and Armstrong loaded the bases in the bottom of the second inning, leading to a run-scoring groundout by Alvarez for her fourth RBI of the contest.
Sophomore shortstop Aubrey Thorne, who entered the game earlier as a pinch-runner, hit a double to left to lead off the third inning for the Comets, and Huey followed with her second home run of the game and third of the doubleheader for her 10th round-tripper of the season, breaking the brief tie with Doepping for the team lead.
Palomar added three more runs in the third as a walk and a stolen base by Dain led to a run-scoring double by Schneider, who replaced Doepping as the designated player. Three more freshman players came off the bench to contribute as Tyler Krystek walked, Jessica Covarrubias singled to right to score Schneider, and Natalie Arendt singled to load the bases. Freshman catcher Delaney Smith, making her first start behind the plate, then hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Krystek.
Twelve different players had at least one hit for the Comets, who amassed 15 hits. Huey, Gonzalez and Armstrong all had two hits apiece, and McNally added her second pinch-hit single of the doubleheader. Huey continues to lead the team with a .600 batting average (36-for-60), and she currently ranks third in the state in batting average and home runs.
Flaviani started again in the circle and pitched three innings to earn her state-leading 14th win against one loss. The right-hander retired the first seven batters she faced before allowing one run on two hits with no walks, one hit batter and two strikeouts. Sophomore Hailey White pitched two innings of relief, allowing one earned run on two hits.
"Today was a good example that shows you don't have to be a starter to make big contributions for our team," Palomar coach Lacey Craft said after the doubleheader sweep which dropped Bakersfield's record to 10-10. "We've had a lot of players come through in supporting roles all season."
Palomar has two Pacific Coast Athletic Conference games on the road coming up, including at Grossmont on March 10 and at Southwestern on March 12, with both games slated to start at 3 p.m. The Comets return home March 14 for a nonconference contest against No. 12 Cerritos at 1 p.m.