Comets walk it off again

SAN MARCOS, CA (5/10/2024) -- In a similar situation to the day before, the Palomar College Comets defeated the Mt. San Antonio College Mounties 9-8 in walk-off fashion.

Deadlocked in an 8-8 battle after a Mountie grand slam tied it in the eighth, the two couldn't score a run and went into extras. 

It started with a Luke Matthews single followed by an error by the pitcher which allowed Carter Jorissen to reach and advance both runners an extra base. Ian Halverson then walked to load the bases with no one out. Matthews then took advantage of a wild pitch and scored the game-winning run to give the Comets the 1-0 series advantage.

Ryan Herrod started the game lights out for Palomar keeping the Mounties scoreless until the third when they brought in two runs. The Comets plated one in their half to cut the lead in half. Mt. SAC tacked on two more in the fourth to take a 4-1 lead. True to their form, the Comets turned it on.

Colby Rafail doubled in the fifth to score Elijah Cook and Jorissen to bring the Comets within one. They tied it up in the sixth on a Jorissen single to plate DH Ryan Rivera. Palomar took the lead in the seventh when Makana Olaso hit home run number 20 on the season and his fourth in as many games, this time a three-run jack to score Rafail who walked to get on and Noah Lazuka who was hit by a pitch. Jorissen recorded another RBI single later in the inning to make it 8-4 Comets.

Herrod went 7.2 innings and allowed six runs on 10 hits and struck out seven. Evan Langer pitched 1.1 innings and allowed two runs on five hits and struck out one. Lucas Smith closed it out with an inning and struck out one.

The two teams will return to the field tomorrow at 11 a.m. for game two. An if necessary game will be played approximately 40 minutes following the conclusion of game two.