Posted: Mar 14, 2026
Gonzalez doubles down, Comets hold off Falcons
Cerritos
(14-6)
3
Palomar
(19-1)
4
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cerritos | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 |
|
Palomar | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | X | 4 | 6 | 1 |
SAN MARCOS, CA (3/14/2026) – Gisele Gonzalez drove in three runs with a pair of doubles, Alexis Huey added to her team-leading home run total, and Kiara Flaviani pitched a complete game for her third win of the week as Palomar College prevailed for a 4-3 softball victory Saturday over Cerritos College in a matchup of two of the state's top-10 teams.
The nonconference win elevated the Comets' record to 19-1 at the halfway point of the regular season. Ranked No. 3 in the current California Community College Fastpitch Coaches Association state poll, Palomar withstood a late Cerritos rally to subdue the No. 9-ranked Falcons, who fell to 14-6 with the loss.
The two squads traded runs in the opening frame, with the visitors taking a 1-0 lead on a leadoff single and a one-out double off Flaviani. Palomar responded in the bottom of the first when Huey hit a leadoff single up the middle and was sacrificed to second by Kailey Dain before scoring the tying run ahead of a double to left field by Gonzalez.
The hosts assumed a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning, which began with a leadoff walk by Dominique Garcia. The sophomore catcher advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore shortstop Nalia Nuanez and took third on a two-out single to the left side by Dain, the Comets' freshman right fielder. Another walk issued to sophomore designated player Lauren Doepping loaded the bases for Gonzalez, and the sophomore center fielder came through with her second double of the game to straightaway center field, scoring two runs.
Huey added to the Palomar lead with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning when the sophomore first baseman lined her 12th home run of the season over the left-field fence. That run proved to be crucial after Cerritos mounted a rally in the top of the sixth inning.
Two singles and a one-out double produced two runs for the Falcons and cut Palomar's lead to 4-3. Cerritos still had the bases loaded with two out when a grounder to Nuanez at short resulted in a force out at third base to end the inning. Flaviani retired the side in the top of the seventh, ending the game with her seventh strikeout to secure her state-leading 17th win of the season.
The contest was only the second in 20 games for the Comets which was completed in the regulation seven innings. Palomar has won 15 games shortened by the mercy-run rule, and three other contests were all extended to eight innings.
The Comets were victorious despite being held to a season-low six hits, with Gonzalez and Huey accounting for four hits. Nuanez hit a leadoff double to start the sixth inning but was stranded at third base.
With Flavani shutting the door on the Falcons in the top of the seventh, Palomar was able to notch its seventh straight win going into a key Pacific Coast Athletic Conference game at home on March 17 against No. 19 San Diego Mesa at 3 p.m. The Olympians are 4-2 in conference play and in second place behind the 7-0 Comets in the PCAC standings.
Following another PCAC contest on March 19 at Imperial Valley, Palomar will host No. 16 Long Beach City on March 21 for a nonconference matchup, with both games starting at 1 p.m.