Palomar advances to the 3C2A State Championship game with 5-3 win over Cerritos
The Comets await tonight's results to see who they will play. Cerritos has one more chance to make it to tomorrow's final
WALNUT, CA — For the first time since the 2019 season, the Palomar Comets return to the 3C2A State title game, with a come-from-behind, 5-3, win over Cerritos, Saturday at Mt. SAC.
Palomar, which lost to Mt. SAC in 2019, will aim for its sixth title on Sunday in the championship game. With the loss, Cerritos (33-15) will play the winner of the San Mateo and Cypress game tonight at 6 p.m.
Trailing 3-1 in the fifth inning, Palomar (43-1) scored three runs to take a 4-3 lead and never looked back. With two outs in the inning, the Comets got two runners on base after Ellison Hazlett was hit by a pitch and Elisa Haas walked. That brought up Cadee Herrmann who singled to left center to score Hazlett and cut the deficit to 3-2. Jonessa Hebreo tied the game 3-3 with a single to right field that plated Haas.
Allyson Amato kept the rally going and gave Palomar the lead with a single up the middle to bring home Herrmann.
The Comets scored an insurance run in the sixth inning on an RBI single by Herrmann that scored Faith Steffany to extend Palomar's lead to 5-3.
Postgame with Cadee Herrmann, 3-4, 2 Runs, 1 RBI pic.twitter.com/PGX58WtibO
— 3CFCA (@3CFCA) May 20, 2023
Cerritos opened the scoring in the first inning with a two-run home run over the left field fence by freshman right fielder Jazmine Macias after Alyssa Sotelo reached base on an infield error. Macias wasn't finished, hitting a solo shot to deep center field in her next at bat to extend Cerritos lead to 3-1 in the top of the third.
In the fourth inning, the Falcons left runners on second and third, which was the closest they came to scoring the rest of the way.
Palmoar got on the board in the second inning when Hebreo reached on a throwing error to bring in Herrmann and cut the Falcons' lead to 2-1.
Palomar pitcher India Caldwell allowed just five hits and struck out five to improve to 30-1 on the season. Caldwell held the Falcons hitless over the final three innings.
Postgame with @PmarAthletics Jonessa, Hebreo, 2-3, 1 RBI. @3C2Asports pic.twitter.com/7AJjeTqlci
— 3CFCA (@3CFCA) May 20, 2023
John M. Sherrard (3C2A)