Posted: Mar 12, 2025
Haywood quiets Knights with no-hitter
San Diego City
(9-11, 0-3)
0
Palomar
(14-2, 3-0)
18
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
San Diego City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
|
Palomar | 1 | 3 | 11 | 3 | X | 18 | 22 | 1 |
SAN MARCOS, CA (3/12/2025) – Sophomore right-hander Nevaeh Haywood pitched a five-inning no-hitter and was backed by a season-high 22 hits as Palomar College rolled to an 18-0 victory over San Diego City in a Pacific Coast Athletic Conference softball matchup Wednesday.
The game was postponed from one day earlier due to rain, and sophomore third baseman Breanna Lutz provided Haywood all the run support she needed with a leadoff home run off the scoreboard in center field to start the bottom of the first inning.
The No. 2-ranked Comets didn't stop there, scoring three runs in the second inning on a bases-loaded double by freshman first baseman Zoe Karam before batting around in the third inning for an 11-run rally.
Eleven of Palomar's 22 hits came from non-starters, including two hits apiece by freshman first baseman Alexis Huey, sophomore left fielder Paige McLeod and freshman right fielder Dominique Garcia. The home run by Lutz was her team-leading sixth of the season, and Karam had two of Palomar's seven doubles in the game.
A leadoff single by freshman left fielder Taylor Armstrong and a run-scoring double by sophomore designated player Lauren Stehly ignited the Comets' big third inning. Palomar sent 15 batters to the plate while scoring 11 runs on 13 hits against two San Diego City pitchers to expand a 4-0 lead to 15-0. Freshman center fielder Gisele Gonzalez had two hits in the inning, including an RBI single and a run-scoring double.
Palomar began the fourth inning with four straight hits, including a leadoff double by freshman second baseman Aubrey Thorne and a run-scoring triple by Huey. Run-scoring singles by sophomore catcher Shelbie Van Slyke and Garcia capped the scoring as the Comets matched their season high in runs scored while extending their current win streak to 10 games.
Haywood was one out away from a five-inning perfect game after retiring the first 14 batters she faced. The only baserunner for the Knights reached with two outs in the top of the fifth when an infield fly was misplayed for an error. Haywood struck out seven batters, including the side in the third inning, while improving her record to 6-2.
The shutout was the eighth of the season for Palomar, which boosted its record to 14-2 overall and 3-0 in conference play. San Diego City fell to 9-11 and 0-3.
The Comets were scheduled to host Grossmont on March 13, but with more inclement weather being forecast, a postponement was likely. Palomar is slated to host Southwestern for a PCAC contest March 18 at 3 p.m. before embarking on a stretch of seven straight road games.