Posted: Apr 08, 2026
Burgin silences Hornets, Comets rally for 30th win
Palomar
(30-1)
7
Fullerton
(21-9)
6
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Palomar | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 15 | 4 |
|
Fullerton | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 0 |
FULLERTON, CA (4/8/2026) – One day after being held to a season-low two runs, the Palomar College softball team overcame a season-high of defensive miscues and rallied for a 7-6 nonconference victory Wednesday at Fullerton College.
In a matchup of conference leaders and a pair of top-10 teams from the state rankings, it was the No. 2 Comets who prevailed by breaking a 6-6 tie in the top of the seventh inning on a run-scoring single by freshman right fielder Kailey Dain.
Freshman pitcher Gianna Burgin retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure her second win of the season while allowing the Comets to claim their 30th victory against one loss. Fullerton, ranked No. 8 in the state and currently atop the Orange Empire Conference standings, fell to 21-9.
For the second straight game, leadoff batter Alexis Huey hit a first-inning home run and later scored what proved to be the game-winning run. The sophomore first baseman led off the game by clearing the center-field fence with her 17th home run of the season, and the visitors added another run in the top of the first when Dain singled, stole second base and came around to score on a wild pitch.
Palomar's defense had committed no more than two errors in any game this season prior to Wednesday, but the Comets were guilty of three errors in the bottom of the first inning which enabled the Hornets to score five unearned runs off starting pitcher Kiara Flaviani.
Chipping away at the 5-2 deficit, Palomar scored one run in the second inning when freshman second baseman Kristina Deal led off with a double, was sacrificed to third by sophomore catcher Dominique Garcia and scored on a single by sophomore shortstop Nalia Nuanez.
The Comets tied the score with two runs in the third inning on a leadoff double by freshman third baseman Ava Alvarez and a two-out home run to left by Deal, her eighth of the season.
Fullerton reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the third when the first three batters reached with a double and two singles for a 6-5 Hornets advantage. The lead didn't last long as Palomar tied the score again in the top of the fourth on a leadoff single by Nuanez, a walk to sophomore left fielder Taylor Armstrong and a two-out RBI single by Alvarez.
Flaviani, who pitched a complete game the previous day in a 2-1 win over Southwestern, was relieved by Burgin in the pitching circle to start the bottom of the fourth inning. Burgin retired the side after allowing a leadoff infield single in the fourth, dodged two more singles in the fifth with the help of a strikeout, and retired the final seven batters she faced to cap off four scoreless innings while improving her record to 2-0.
The Comets plated the eventual winning run in the top of the seventh when Huey drew a walk with two outs, stole second base and scored on a single up the middle by Dain.
Overcoming a season-high four errors to extend its current win streak to 18 games, Palomar finished with 15 hits, including three apiece by Dain and Nuanez. Adding two hits each were Alvarez, Deal and sophomore center fielder Gisele Gonzalez.
Wednesday's game continued a busy week for the Comets, who are scheduled to travel to No. 12 Mt. San Antonio on April 10 for another non-conference matchup of ranked teams. Palomar is slated to host Fullerton the following day at noon, weather permitting.
The Comets return to conference play next week with a road game at San Diego Mesa on April 14 at 3 p.m. and a home game against Imperial Valley on April 16 at 1 p.m. Palomar leads the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference with a 12-0 record, good for a three-game lead over Mesa with three games left on the conference schedule.