Posted: May 17, 2026
Flaviani, Comets shine brightest for state crown
Palomar
(44-2)
13
Saddleback
(36-14)
0
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Palomar | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 14 | 0 |
|
Saddleback | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
BAKERSFIELD, CA (5/17/2026) – The Palomar College softball team began the 2026 season in late January by scoring 13 runs against Saddleback College in the season opener.
In an ironic twist of fate, the Comets closed the season by scoring 13 runs against Saddleback. This time, however, the stakes were much higher Sunday at Bakersfield College when Palomar rolled to a 13-0 victory over the Bobcats in the championship game for the 3C2A Softball State Championships.
With sophomore right-hander Kiara Flaviani pitching her second complete-game shutout in two days, the Comets were able to capture their sixth state championship in program history and the first since the 2015 season, when Palomar also won the title at Bakersfield College. The Comets won four games without a loss at this year's state tourney while wrapping up a 45-2 season under coach Lacey Craft.
With Ava Alvarez and Lauren Doepping providing back-to-back first-inning home runs, Flaviani was staked to an early 4-0 lead, and the Comets batted around in the top of the second inning for seven more runs to put the game out of reach. The offensive support was more than enough for Flaviani, who stifled Saddleback on just three hits one day after pitching an eight-inning, two-hit shutout in a 1-0 win against defending state champion College of San Mateo.
Flaviani capped off her 38-1 season with three wins in the state tournament and 13 consecutive scoreless innings in her final two starts, earning her the distinction of being named the Most Valuable Pitcher of the tournament. She struck out seven against Saddleback with no walks and one hit batter.
"I just tried to keep it simple," Flaviani said in her postgame interview with the Overnght broadcast team. "The offense got some runs for me, so it was nice to have that lead.
"Yesterday we only had one run, which at least was enough."
Alexis Huey provided the only run of the game against San Mateo with a solo home run in the eighth inning, and the sophomore first baseman homered again against Saddleback and was named the Most Valuable Player of the state tourney.
Saddleback was seeded No. 11 for the Southern California Regionals despite winning the Orange Empire Conference championship. The Bobcats dispatched Citrus in the Regionals and College of the Canyons in the Super Regionals to advance to the state tournament for the first time since the 1999 season.
Following a 6-2 first-round loss to San Mateo, the Bobcats remained alive by winning two elimination games on Friday against San Diego Mesa and San Joaquin Delta and repeating that feat on Saturday by eliminating Santa Rosa, 9-2, before avenging their earlier loss to San Mateo with a 4-3 victory over the Bulldogs to end the season for the defending state champs.
Appearing in their first state championship game since 1988, the Bobcats managed just four baserunners against Flaviani. Saddleback's only scoring threat came in the bottom of the fifth inning when two singles and a hit batter loaded the bases with two outs. For the second straight day, the game ended on a fly ball to Gisele Gonzalez in center field as the Bobcats finished the season with a 36-15 record.
Flaviani was staked to a four-run lead before Saddleback could record an out. Huey led off the contest by racing to second base on a bloop double to right field. Following a walk to Kailey Dain, Alvarez connected on a three-run home run to right-center field, the third homer of the tournament and eighth of the season for the freshman third baseman.
Doepping followed with her 15th home run of the year, a towering blast to straightaway center field for the sophomore designated player.
Palomar sent 12 batters to the plate in the top of the second, which Nalia Nuanez led off with a single up the middle. Huey followed with a line-drive home run over the right-field fence for her state-leading 27th homer of the season, a new school record.
Dain then hustled out a double to shallow left field and Alvarez walked before Gonzalez delivered an RBI single to center. After an infield error on a fielder's choice grounder by Taylor Armstrong loaded the bases, Kristina Deal capped the big rally with a grand-slam home run to left, the ninth homer of the season for the freshman second baseman.
The Comets scored their final two runs of the season in the top of the fifth on another double by Huey, singles by Dain and Alvarez and a run-scoring groundout by Gonzalez.
Huey and Alvarez had three hits apiece, combining for four extra-base hits to lead a 14-hit attack for the state champs. Deal added a home run and a triple, and Dain also had two hits.
In addition to leading the state in home runs (27), RBIs (85) and hits (91), Huey led her team with 16 doubles and a .558 batting average in 47 games. She batted .647 (11-for-17) in the state tourney with five home runs and 12 RBIs to cap a season in which she was recognized as the NFCA State Player of the Year and 3C2A SoCal Player of the Year.
In addition to Huey and Flaviani being named to the all-tournament team, Armstrong was named the Gold Glove winner for her defense in left field, while Alvarez, Gonzalez and Dain were also named to the all-tourney team.
Since the Comets won their previous state crown in 2015, they finished as the state runner-up four times, including last season to San Mateo. Palomar left little doubt this time around, outscoring their four state tournament opponents, 54-5. The Comets also committed just one error in the four games in Bakersfield.
The state title was the third for Palomar with Craft as head coach, and the Comets won three previous state championships under program founder Mark Eldridge.