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San Marcos, CA 92069
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Scott Cathcart

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Baseball

Schedule, Results, Boxes | 2008 Stats | 2008 PCC Stats | 2008 Roster | 2008 Coaches

All-Time Hitting | All-Time Pitching | Comets to 4-Yr. Colleges | Comets to the Pros

2007 | 2007 Stats 2006 | 2006 Stats 2005 | 2004 Stats | 2004 | 2004 Stats | 2003 | 2003 Stats | 2002 | 2001 | 2001 Stats | 2000


Fall 2008 News ...

Shore verbals to Oklahoma and will sign

with Sooners when early period begins Nov. 12

SAN MARCOS (10-13-08) -- Palomar sophomore right-handed pitcher Bobby Shore has verbally committed to the University of Oklahoma and will sign with the Sooners during the early signing period that begins Nov. 12.

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Shore was 4-2 with a 3.31 earned run average for the Comets last season as a freshman, appearing in 15 games and starting 10. He was Avocado League Player of the Year and an All-CIF-San Diego Section selection as a senior at Oceanside High School in 2007.

This, after helping the Oceanside American Little League All-Stars to the 2001 Little League World Series in South Williamsport,  PA. Oceanside American lost to Bronx, NY and overage pitcher Danny Almonte 1-0 on a one-hitter on ESPN2 in the United States semifinals.

Shore will become the second Palomar pitcher to move on to Oklahoma. Mike Ponio pitched for the Sooners in during the 1988 and 1989 seasons, on a pair of back-to-back NCAA tournament qualifying teams.

Shore is the second 2009 Palomar sophomore to commit to a four-year college. Earlier, outfielder/ pitcher Shawn Sanford committed to San Diego State. Sanford also will sign during the early signing period


Sanford comes first 2009 sophomore to commit

to a four-year college program, picking Aztecs

SAN MARCOS (9-22-08) -- Shawn Sanford, a 6-foot-4, 185-pound outfielder and left-handed relief pitcher, has  committed to San Diego State.

He becomes the first 2009 Palomar sophomore to choose a four-year college. The early signing period will be Nov. 12-19.

Sanford, who prepped at Fallbrook High School, played in 33 games and started 22 of them in the outfield last season as a freshman. Sanford batted .250 and banged out 10 doubles. He also went 1-1 pitching 11 relief innings.

He struck out 11 batters.


Palomar announces Fall schedule; Comets

will play 12 games prior to start of '09 practices

SAN MARCOS (9-19-08) -- Palomar head coach Buck Taylor has announced the Comets 2008 Fall schedule as the Comets begin preparations for the 2009 season. Official practice for the season will begin on Jan. 15.

The Comets' Fall season will get underway on Saturday, Oct. 11, against College of the Desert at home at Myers Field at noon.

2008 PALOMAR FALL-BALL SCHEDULE

  • Sat., Oct. 11 -- College of the Desert at Palomar College (Myers Field), noon

  • Tue., Oct. 14 -- Mt. San Jacinto at Palomar College (Myers Field), 1:30 p.m.

  • Thu., Oct. 16 -- Cal State University San Marcos at Palomar College (Myers Field), 2 p.m.

  • Tue., Oct. 21 -- at Saddleback, 1 p.m.

  • Fri., Oct. 24 -- at College of the Desert,  4 p.m.

  • Sat., Oct. 25 -- at College of the Desert, noon

  • Tue., Oct. 28 -- at Mt. San Jacito, 1:30 p.m.

  • Thu.,  Oct. 30 -- Cal State University San Marcos at Palomar College (Myers Field), 2 p.m.

  • Sat., Nov.1 -- Tampa Bay Rays Scout Team at Palomar College (Myers Field), 11 a.m.

  • Tue., Nov.11 -- at Saddleback, 1 p.m.

  • Wed., Nov.12  -- Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Elite Scout Team at Mt. SAC or Anaheim Stadium, 6 p.m.

  • Sat., Nov. 15 -- Saddleback at Palomar College (Myers Field), 10 a.m.


2008 News ...

BASEBALL /  Pro Alumni

Vincent gives up 2 hits in 5 innings pitched

after being moved to Triple-A Portland club

PORTLAND, Ore. (8-25-08) -- Just 15 1/2 months after pitching for Palomar. right-hander Nick Vincent was transferred from the San Diego Padres' Class A farm club at Eugene, OR, to their Class AAA Portland Beavers team of the Pacific Coast League on Sunday and threw two-hit ball over five innings in a spot start.

Vincent, drafted and signed out of Long Beach State after the 2008 season, retired Tacoma 1-2-3 in the first inning but gave up a second-inning home run and was tagged with the loss as the Rainers won 7-4 before 9,491 at PGE Park in Portland. Vincent, who struck out four and walked one, became the first  Palomar alum to pitch in a Triple-A game since Will Flynt in 2002.


Vincent wins again, still sailing in Class A;

Esquibel owns an ERA of 1.88 in Rookie ball

EUGENE, Ore. (8-10-08) -- Nick Vincent did it again Thursday evening, pitching five innings of two hit ball and striking out six to pick up the victory as the San Diego Padres' Eugene farm club in the Class A short-season Northwest League won for the 14th time in 17 games.

The right-handed Palomar alum, who signed out of Long Beach State in June after being drafted by the Pads in the 18th round, struck out the side in the first inning and didn't give up a hit until the fourth to beat Yakima before a crowd of 3.958 at Civic Stadium.

Vincent is 2-0 with a 2.63 ERA and 25 strikeouts in  24 innings since being moved from the bullpen to a starting role on July 17. On the season, he's 3-1 with two saves, a 3.32 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 32 2/3 innings.

GAME STORY FROM THE EUGENE REGISTER-GUARD

NICK VINCENT FEATURE FROM TODAY'S LOCAL NEWS

--------

Among other Comets in minor-league baseball,  Andres Esquibel (formerly of the University of Kansas) is 1-0 with one save and a 1.88 ERA for the Seattle Mariners' Pulaski farm club in the Rookie Classification Appalachian League. He's surrendered one earned run in his last 18 1/3 innings. Esquibel closed the game with two perfet innings on Friday as the Pulaski Mariners defeated Johnson City 6-2.

Marcus Hatley has allowed two earned runs in  his last 9 1/3 innings, striking out nine during that time, for the Chicago Cubs' Boise farm club in the Class A short-season Northwest League.

Jeff Nettles is batting .251 with 22 doubles, 22 home runs and 69 RBIs for the Baltimore Orioles' Bowie farm club in the Class AA Eastern League. This, after Nettles went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk on Saturday vs. New Britain.

Ex-Padres farm hand Skip Adams, who played for Florida International after Palomar, is hitting .327 in Independent ball for Lincoln in the American Association of Independent Baseball.

Ex-Comets playing pro baseball, 2008 (as of Aug. 10)

  • Jeff Nettles, Bowie (AA), Baltimore Orioles

  • Scott Robinson, Wisconsin (A), Seattle Mariners

  • Nick Vincent, Eugene (A), San Diego Padres

  • Marcus Hatley, Boise (A), Chicago Cubs

  • Andres Esquibel, Pulaski (R), Seattle Mariners

  • Lyndon Poole, Ogden (R), Los Angeles Dodgers

  • Clint Preisendorfer, Tampa (R), New York Yankees

  • Gera Alvarez, Somerset, Independent

  • Dylan Parzyk, Pensacola, Independent

  • Joe Ramos, Kalamazoo, Independent

  • Keith Noe, Brockton, Independent

  • Skip Adams, Lincoln, Independent

  • Shawn Balteff, Rockford, Independent


All-PCC 2nd baseman Blackburn selects SDSU;

all 13 of Palomar's 2008 sophomores moving on

SAN MARCOS (7-24-08) -- Palomar All-Pacific Coast Conference second baseman Mitch Blackburn announced Thursday he has committed to attend and play for San Diego State University.

That means all 13 Palomar baseball sophomores are heading on to the four-year college level.

Seven of them -- Blackburn, Kegan Sharp  (San Diego State), Guy Willeford (San Diego State), Tyler Hamilton (St. John's University), Jimmy Hoyt (Centenary College of Louisiana) and Ryle Parks (Centenary College of Louisiana) are on their way to NCAA Division I programs.

Blackburn, shown in photo sliding in at second base in the Comets' Southern California Regional victory over Santa Barbara City College (photo by Rick Rowell), started 46 of 47 games during the 2008 season as a sophomore.

He batted.354 with 11 doubles, three triples, two home runs and 25 RBIs. He had 16 successful sacrifice bunts, second on the all-time Palomar list, and stole seven bases on eight attempts.

Blackburn set a Palomar career record with 25 sacrifice bunts over two seasons.

Blackburn, out of Chaparral High School in Temecula, was Palomar's starting third baseman as a freshman before moving to second base for his sophomore season. He also played shortstop for the Comets.

He selected the Aztecs over two-time recent NAIA World Series qualifier Jamestown College of North Dakota and two other NCAA Division I schools, Murray State University and Lipscomb.

"I took my recruiting trip to Lipscomb (in Nashville, TN) over the weekend, and my dad and I talked after I got back and decided San Diego State was the best situation for me," Blackburn said on Thursday afternoon.

The list of Palomar baseball sophomores moving on to four-year college programs:

  • 2B Mitch Blackburn, San Diego State

  • RHP Kegan Sharp, San Diego State

  • 1B Guy Willeford, San Diego State

  • OF Eric Rodriguez, Cal State Fullerton

  • LHP Tyler Hamilton, St. John's

  • RHP Jimmy Hoyt, Centenary

  • C Jason Laws, Murray State

  • C Ryle Parks, Centenary

  • C Kellen Lee, UC San Diego

  • OF Brian Joyce, Sonoma State

  • RHP Cameron Aaspas, Abilene Christian

  • RHP Joe Cates, Culver-Stockton College

  • RHP Andrew Jenkins, University of Sioux Falls

ALL-TIME LIST OF COMETS IN 4-YEAR COLLEGE BASEBALL


Padres ink Vincent, assign ex-Comet to Eugene;

Esquibel (Mariners), Preisdendorfer (Yanks) sign

(6/16/08, 6/23/08) 

18th-round draft pick Nick Vincent, whose 20 career wins rank second on the all-time Palomar list, signed with the San Diego Padres on Sunday and flew to Oregon later in the day. Vincent will begin his pro baseball career with the Eugene Emeralds in the Class A Northwest League.

Vincent (left), a right-hander who prepped at Ramona High School, was 4-0 with two saves and a 1.76 ERA for Long Beach State during the 2008 season. He allowed 19 hits in 30 2/3 innings, striking out 33 and walking five.

Meanwhile, ex-Palomar  right-handed pitcher Andres Esquibel, drafted in the 38th round by Seattle out of the University of Kansas, has signed with the Mariners. He's been assigned to Peoria of the Rookie Classification Arizona League.

Former Comet left-handed pitcher Clint Preisendorfer of San Diego Christian College signed with the New York Yankees. He was drafted by the Yanks in the 42nd round. He's been assigned to Tampa of the Rookie Classification Gulf Coast League.

Former Palomar right-handed pitcher Keith Noe, who set a UC San Diego record with 14 saves as the Tritons' closer after transferring from Division I Coastal Carolina, has signed with the Brocton, Mass., Rox of the Can-Am League of Independent pro baseball. Noe was named to the 2008 Rawlings-ACBA NCAA Division II All-America third team. Noe was 4-1 for UCSD with a 2.19 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 37 innings.

Palomar center fielder Eric Rodriguez has committed to Culver-Stockton College, an NAIA school in Canton, MO.

CLICK HERE for John Maffei's North County Times article on the Padres drafting Nick Vincent in the 18th round


Comets, with just 13 players, take game to

10 innings before being eliminated by Cuesta 6-5

(5/10/08) 

Palomar, with a 13-man roster for the best-of-three series, took No. 2 seed Cuesta to extra innings Saturday before dropping a 6-5 decision that eliminated the Comets from the state community college tournament's Southern California Regionals in San Luis Obispo..

The Comets, playing the best-of-three series without 16 players who were suspended for violating team policy, rallied for two runs in the bottom of the 10th after the Cougars had broken a 3-3 tie with three runs in the top of the inning as the visitors on their own field.

Anthony Renteria (left) contributed an RBI single for his third hit of the day in the inning and Mitch Ferguson, a relief pitcher who played all 19 innings in the series at second base, added a sacrifice fly.

Right fielder Matt Frankfurth (right) jumped up reached over the fence and robbed Cuesta's Quinton Cate of a home run in the eighth inning.

Renteria went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and a walk as the Comets out-hit the Cougars 10-6. Mitch Blackburn went 2-for-5 with two doubles. Guy Willeford was 2--4or-4 with a walk.

Bobby Shore, Shawn Sanford and Matt Ferreira combined to throw the six-hitter for Palomar and had a three-hitter through the regulation nine innings.

Eric Rodriguez, Kellen Lee and Frankfurth also had singles for the Comets. Rodriguez went back in center to make a running catch and rob Brian Farris of an ex-tra-base hit in the ninth.

“I could not be more proud of what these kids did under these circumstances. I don’t know if I have ever been more proud of a group of kids since I’ve been here,”  said Palomar coach Buck Taylor, in his third season as head coach and eighth season on the Comets staff.

Palomar finished the season 26-21 while Cuesta advanced to 32-13-1.

Cuesta 12, Palomar 5 -- One bad inning spelled disaster for the Comets as the Cougars scored nine times in the bottom of the second and won the first game of the series on Friday. Palomar took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first as Willeford and Lee drove in runs with a single and groundball to the right side, respectively, but couldn't hold on.

Rodriguez (2-for-4, double, walk), Jason Laws (double, single, sacrifice  bunt) and Frankfurth (2-for-4, double) had multiple hits for the Comets.

BOX1 | BOX2 | FINAL SEASON STATS


ABOVE: Guy Willeford follows through on Tuesday against Santa Barbara City College. BELOW RIGHT: Matt Strom delivers pitch. -- (Photos by Hugh Gerhardt)

Strom (4-hitter, 10 strikeouts) throws shutout as

Comets top Santa Barbara 3-0 in playoff opener

(5/6/08) 

Freshman left-hander Matt Strom pitched a four-hit, complete-game shutout on Tuesday as Palomar downed Santa Barbara City College 3-0 at Myers Field to begin the Southern California Community College baseball regionals.

Strom, who pitched out of the bullpen until late March, struck out 10 and walked none as he lowered his earned run average to 0.91 with 41 strikeouts and only seven walks over 39 2/3 innings.

Along the way, he became the first Palomar pitcher to throw a complete-game shutout since Nick Vincent, now at Long Beach State, beat Rio Hondo 1-0 in a Southern Cal regional game on May 13, 2006.

Mitch Blackburn (3-for-4, RBI) and Eric Rodriguez (3-for-4, stolen base) led the way offensively as Palomar moved on to a best-of-three series against Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo this weekend. The Comets and Cougars will play the first game Friday at 2 p.m., with the second game at 11 a.m. Saturday and a third game, if necessary, to follow.

Jake Onorato broke up a scoreless pitching duel between Strom and 6-foot-6 Vaqueros right-hander Blake McFarland with a sixth-inning sacrifice fly that scored Blackburn, who was aboard on a single.

Jason Laws, the next batter, singled to drive in Guy Willeford, also aboard on a single, with the second Palomar run. Blackburn singled in the Comets' third run in the seventh inning, driving in Rodriguez. Rodriguez had singled, stolen second and advanced to third on Tyler Saladino's second sacrifice  bunt of the game.

Onorato, playing right field, went to the top of the bank in the first inning to catch a long fly ball by Aaron Bauman and rob him of an extra-base hit. Rodriguez made two outstanding catches, going up the bank in straight-away center to take an extra- base hit away from Andrew Leighty in the third inning and making a diving catch coming in on Brendan Pichettoe's blooper in the ninth.

"I don't worry about (the other team's) hitting the ball with our defense," Strom said.

Onorato singled for the Comets' other hit, rounding out an eight-hit attack off three Santa Barbara pitchers.

Palomar advanced to 26-19.

BOX | SEASON STATS

Five Palomar players make all-conference team

(5/7/08) 

Five Palomar players made the All-Pacific Coast Conference baseball team selected Wednesday by conference coaches.

Named to the first team: sophomore second baseman Mitch Blackburn (left), freshman shortstop Tyler Saladino, sophomore center fielder Eric Rodriguez, sophomore first baseman Guy Willeford and sophomore relief pitcher Kegan Sharp.

Comets receiving honorable mention were freshman pitchers Bobby Shore, Matt Strom and Sam Jew, sophomore catcher Jason Laws and sophomore third baseman Colby Ho.


ABOVE: Anthony Renteria bangs the ball in Thursday's victory over Imperial Valley. BELOW RIGHT: Eric Rodriguez singleds. -- (Photos by Rick Rowell) ORDER  PHOTOS (password: cometball)

Playoffs next up for Palomar after Jew defeats

Arabs 4-1 with 8 strong innings, 7 strikeouts

(5/1/08) 

Sam Jew pitched eight innings of one-run, six-hit ball Thursday as Palomar closed the regular season with a 4-1 victory over Imperial Valley at Myers Field.

Jew (3-1) struck out seven and walked none as the Comets advanced to 25-19, 18-7 to finish alone in second in the Pacific Coast Conference entering the Southern California playoffs which begin next week.

Tyler Saladino (3-for-5, two doubles, one run scored) and Mitch Blackburn (3-for-3, one walk, two runs scored) paced a 10-hit attack for Palomar. Colby Ho reached base for the 20th and 21st time this season as a hit batter.

Jimmy Hoyt came on to pitch shutout ball in the ninth inning, picking up his first save.

Palomar will either be in the play-in game on Tuesday or will open the postseason with a first-round best-of-three series next weekend (May 9-10). The seeding meeting for the Southern Cal playoffs is slated for Sunday.

BOX | SEASON STATS


Comets slug four home runs and Jenkins

goes 7 innings without earned run in 13-2 win

(4/29/08) 

Winning pitcher Andrew Jenkins (left) didn't allow an earned run in seven innings and Palomar slugged four home runs in a 13-2 victory at Imperial Valley on Tuesday in the Comets' next-to-last game of the regular season.

Colby Ho (3-for-4, HR, two doubles, RBI, three runs scored, two walks) and Jason Laws (right, 3-for-6, RBI, double) paced a 17-hit attack as Palomar advanced to 24-19, 17-7 in the Pacific Coast Conference) with one game left in the regular season.

Ho and Kellen Lee both homered in the seventh inning. Ho's solo HR was his third of the season. Lee's three-run blast was his second. Mitch Blackburn and Anthony Renteria hit solo shots in the top of the ninth, No. 2 for Blackburn, No. 5 for Renteria.

Eric Rodriguez and Guy Willeford each added two hits. Tyler Saladino and Reece Alnas had triples.

BOX | SEASON STATS


PCC champion Jaguars overcome 3-1 deficit

in seventh inning to and turn back Palomar 9-5

(4/26/08) 

Second-place Palomar led the Pacific Coast Conference champions 3-1 on Saturday when starting pitcher Matt Strom, who was sailing along with a four-hitter, tired quickly in  the top of the seventh inning.

The Jaguars wound up scoring five runs in the inning off three Palomar pitchers, three of them unearned, and continued on to runa 9-5 victory that ran their record to 31-10, 21-2 in conference in the Comets' last home Saturday game of the season.

Mitch Blackburn (left) went 3-for-4, doubled and drove in a run for the Comets (23-19, 16-7).

Eric Rodriguez, Palomar's leading hitter on the season, was 1-for-2 with a double, was hit by a pitch, walked, was hit by a pitch and scored three runs. Reece Alnas went 1-for-2 with two sacrifice  bunts and two runs scored.

The Comets' RBIs came on Blackburn's second-inning single, Tyler Saladino's squeeze bunt in the fifth inning and Guy Willeford's seventh-inning single.

Palomar's relief pitchers walked five batters.

BOX | SEASON STATS


Jew, and Sharp (record seventh save) pitch

Comets to 3-1 win over PCC champion Jaguars

(4/24/08) 

Palomar went on the road and stunned Pacific Coast Conference champion Southwestern 3-1 on Thursday, beating conference pitching leader Daniel Stenavich.

The Comets' Sam Jew (left, 2-1) won a pitchers' duel from Stenavich, who came into the game with a 7-1 record and ERAs of 1.64 (overall) and 1.45 (conference).

Jew, a freshman right-hander from Kalamunda, Perth, Australia, stopped the Jaguars (30-10, 20-2) on eight hits and one run over the first eighth innings.

Sophomore right-hander Kegan Sharp pitched the ninth for save No. 7, moving to second on the all-time Palomar single-season list. The save also was Sharp's seventh in conference play, breaking the Palomar record of six that he had tied against Grossmont on April 19.

Jerry Stafford, who went on to pitch for San Diego State and in the Florida Marlins organization, had set the old mark in 1990. Chris Adams, who later pitched for the University of New Mexico, first tied it a year later.

After a lead-off walk, Sharp retired the final three Southwestern batters on a strikeout looking and two ground balls.

The Comets, trailing 1-0, scored three runs in the top of the sixth on Eric Rodriguez' triple to right field, Mitch Blackburn's sacrifice fly to center, Guy Willeford's fifth home run of the season over the rightfield fence and a Southwestern error. Willeford and Anthony Renteria each went 2-for-4. Rodriguez went 2-for-5.

Mitch Ferguson, normally a relief pitcher, and Jason Laws, the Comets'  regular catcher, both made their first appearances of the season as infielders.

Ferguson played the whole game at second base and had the Comets' first hit of the game off Stenavich, an opposite-field single with two out in the third inning. Ferguson had two putouts and seven assists. He made a diving stop to throw out Southwestern clean-up hitter Edgar Molina in the third inning and turned a line drive by Taylor Comford into a fourth-inning double play -- throwing to first to double off the Jaguars' Ryan Feriss. Laws played the entire game at third and had a putout and three assists.

The Comets (23-18, 16-6) locked up undisputed second place with the victory. The two teams will play again on Saturday at noon at Myers Field.

BOX | SEASON STATS


Tyler Saladino slides in safely for Comets in Tuesday's game with Grossmont. (Photo by Hugh Gerhardt)

Saladino remains hot by going 3-for-4 with a

home run and double but Palomar tumbles

(4/22/08) 

Tyler Saladino went 3-for-4, slugged his fourth home run, doubled and reached base as a hit batter on Tuesday, but second-place Palomar dropped a 5-2 Pacific Coast Conference decision to third-place Grossmont at Myers Field.

The Comets had only two runs to show for 12 hits as they dropped to 22-18 on the season, 15-6 in conference going into a two-game series with newly-crowned PCC champion Southwestern on Thursday at Southwestern and Saturday at home.

Palomar leads Grossmont by four games with four to play, so the Comets' "magic number" remains at one -- one Palomar victory or one Grossmont loss -- to clinch second place outright. The Comets have already wrapped up the conference's No. 2 playoff berth by winning their season series from Grossmont four games to one.

Kellen Lee went 2-for-4 with a double and a single for Palomar. The Comets, trailing 5-0, scored their first run in the eighth inning on a walk to Colby Ho, pinch-hitter Jake Onorato's fielder's choice and pinch-hitter Reece Alnas' RBI single to up the middle. Saladino's solo homer over the rightfield fence to lead off the bottom of the ninth made the final score 5-2.

The Comets got effective relief pitching from Tyler Hamilton (2 2/3 innings, two hits, one run), Andrew Jenkins (1 2/3 innings, 0 runs) and Jimmy Hoyt (one inning, no hits, no runs).

Eric Rodriguez went up the bank in center field to make two spectacular catches against the fence for Palomar.

Over Palomar's last three games -- victories over San Diego Mesa and Grossmont and Tuesday's loss to the Griffins -- Saladino is 6-for-9 with two doubles, two home runs, seven RBIs, five runs scored, three walks and a hit-by-pitch.

BOX | SEASON STATS


Strom (seven innings, three hits, no runs)

sets stage as Comets beat Grossmont on road

(4/19/08) 

Matt Strom (left), Palomar's most effective relief pitcher, finally got a start on Saturday. You can bet the farm it will not be his last.

The freshman left-hander, working ahead of almost every hitter he faced, pitched seven innings of three-hit, shutout ball, striking out five and walking none, in an 11-6 Pacific Coast Conference victory over host Grossmont. He threw 87 pitches

The Griffins, battling back from an 8-0 deficit after Strom left the game, scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to pull to within two runs at 8-6. But freshman shortstop Tyler Saladino (right) slugged a three-run home run over the rightfield fence in the top of the ninth to put the game out of reach.

Palomar had stretched a 4-0 lead to 8-0 in the top of the eighth, when Guy Willeford slugged a three-run home run to right. Mitch Blackburn preceded Willeford's HR with an RBI single earlier in the inning. Willeford had four RBIs for the day.

Kegan Sharp came on to get the Comets out of the eighth inning, tacked on a scoreless ninth and notched his sixth save.

Strom, pitching this season for the first time since he threw two no-hitters for Temecula Valley High School in 2003, now has an ERA of 0.73 on the season, with 26 strikeouts and six walks in 24 2/3 innings. In conference, he's 1-1 with an ERA of 0.50, and 17 strikeouts and four walks in 16 innings.

His previous 13 appearances had all been in relief.

The second-place Comets (22-17, 15-5) now lead the third-place Griffins (17-18, 10-10) by five games with five to play.

BOX | SEASON STATS


TOP PHOTO: Reece Alnas (No. 1) receives congratulations from first-base coach Rich Graves after his pinch-hit single in the bottom of the eighth. BELOW: Colby Ho gets down suicide squeeze bunt to score Mitch Blackburn, also in the eighth. (Photos by Hugh Gerhardt)

Saladino's 3-run double in 8th defeats Mesa;

Jew gets win with 5 1/3 scoreless relief innings

(4/17/08) 

Tyler Saladino's bases-loaded double in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted Palomar to a come-from-behind, 8-4 Pacific Coast Conference baseball win over San Diego Mesa on Thursday at Myers Field.

The Comets, who trailed early 4-0, scored five times in the inning to give freshman right-handed Australian Sam Jew (left), who threw 5 1/3 innings of shutout ball, the pitching win in relief.

With Palomar down 4-3, Jason Laws led off the inning with a single to left and pinch-runner beat the throw to second on Matt Frankfurth's sacrifice fielder's choice. Eric Rodriguez singled on a picture-perfect bunt just inside the third-base line, when Mesa pitcher Blake Gallacher had no chance to throw out Rodriguez and had to eat the ball.

Saladino followed with his three-run double, giving the Comets a 6-4 lead. Saladino scored when Mitch Blackburn was safe at second on a sacrifice bunt an an error. Guy Willeford bunted Blackburn to third, he came home on Colby Ho's suicide squeeze bunt.

Kegan Sharp then came on to shut out the Olympians in the top of  the ninth.

Saladino went 2-for-3 with the double, a walk, two runs scored, three RBIs and a stolen base. He also was hit by a pitch.

Palomar advances to 14-5 in conference, 21-17 on the season, and solidified its hold on second place when Grossmont lost to San Diego City College in extra  innings.

BOX | SEASON STATS


Shore's 7-inning, 7-strikeout, 1-earned run

performance goes for naught in a 4-3 defeat

(4/15/08) 

Freshman right-hander Bobby Shore (left) pitched four-hit ball over seven innings, surrendering one earned run and leaving the game with a 3-2 lead.

But Shore, who struck out seven and walked two, wound up with a non-decision to show for his efforts as the visiting Comets couldn't hold on against the Olympians.

Anthony Renteria (right) went 2-for-3 for the Comets with a double. Mitch Blackburn was 2-for-5. Colby Ho contributed a one-run double and Shawn Sanford and Eric Rodriguez had RBI singles.

Palomar fell to 20-17 on the season, 13-5 in th Pacific Coast Conference.

BOX | SEASON STATS


Onorato's two-run double in ninth inning leaves

San Diego City College standing in 10-9 win

(4/10/08) 

Jake Onorato's (left) two-run double on a 3-2 count in the bottom of the ninth inning Thursday drove in the tying and winning runs and gave Palomar a wild 10-9 victory over San Diego City College at Myers Field.

The Knights, taking advantage of seven Palomar errors in possibly the most sloppy game the Comets have played all season, rallied from an 8-2 deficit to take a 9-8 lead in the top of the eighth,.

Guy Willeford then led off the bottom of the ninth by drawing a walk.

Jared Jones bunted pinch-runner Reece Alnas to second and Anthony Renteria (right), working City College reliever Matt Veltmann deep into the count, was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second.

That brought up Onorato, who hit a towering drive into the right-centerfield gap to score Alnas and Renteria and win the game.

Renteria hit a long, high two-run home run over the rightfield fence in the fifth inning for the Comets (20-16, 13-4 Pacific Coast Conference). On the day, he also had a sacrifice bunt and scored three runs.

Eric Rodriguez (2-for-4, double) and Mitch Blackburn (2-for-3, RBI) had multiple-hit games.

Kegan Sharp, the fifth Palomar pitcher of the afternoon, came on with two outs in the eighth inning and picked up the victory after Palomar's ninth-inning rally.

Palomar starter Joe Cates got shaky defensive support as he pitched five-hit ball over the first six innings and allowed two runs, both unearned. He left the game with an 8-2 lead that the Knights (14-15, 6-11) erased with a six-run eighth inning.

BOX | SEASON STATS


Shore, Strom and Sharp combine to pitch

Comets to 6-2 win vs. San Diego City College

(4/8/08) 

Bobby Shore (left, 4-1), Matt Strom (right) and Kegan Sharp combined to throw a seven-hitter at San Diego City College as Palomar won 6-2 on Tuesday at Morley Field in San Diego.

Shore pitched five-hit ball over 5 2/3 innings. Strom gave up only a bloop hit down he rightfield line, shutting out the Knights over 2 1/3 innings. Sharp came on to pitch the ninth, giving up a leadoff single and then getting three straight outs, two on strikeouts.

Mitch Blackburn paced a 10-hit attack for the Comets (19-16, 12-4 Pacific Coast Conference) by going 3-for-5 with two doubles and a bunt single. Tyler Saladino (2-for-5, double, two RBIs), Jason Laws (2-for-4, RBI) and Eric Rodriguez (2-for-3, double) also had multiple hits.

The second-place Comets trail first-place Southwestern, which fell behind 9-1 but came back to beat San Diego Mesa 10-9, by three games with nine to play.

The Knights are 14-14, 6-10.

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Willeford (4-4), Renteria (home run, 4 RBIs)

lead the way in 14-2 victory over Imperial Valley

(4/5/08) 

Guy Willeford (left) went 4-for-4, doubled, was hit by a pitch, scored a run and drove in three Saturday as Palomar clubbed Imperial Valley 14-2 at Myers Field.

In his last eight at-bats, the sophomore first baseman from Ramona High School has gone 8-for-8. He has 19 hits in his last 28 at-bats with a home run, four doubles, eight RBIs and a .929 slugging percentage during that span.

Willeford becomes the first Palomar player to hit safely in eight straight at-bats since Kyle Floquet (who later played at San Diego State) in 2001.

Winning pitcher Andrew Jenkins (1-1), Matt Ferreira, Matt Strom and Austin Haynal combined on a five-hitter -- and they had plenty of support to go along with Willeford's performance.

Anthony Renteria (above right) went 2-for-4 with his third home run, a two-run shot over the right-field fence in the fifth inning, and drove in four runs.

Jason Laws was 2-for-3 with a double, a sacrifice fly, a walk, two runs scored and three RBIs. Tyler Saladino went 2-for-3 with two doubles, a sacrifice fly, three runs scored a stolen base and an RBI. Eric Rodriguez was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a double, and RBI and two steals.

Jenkins pitched five shutout innings to begin the game. He surrendered two runs in the sixth and wound up allowing five hits while striking out five and walking none. Ferreira, Strom and Haynal each threw a shutout inning. Strom, who has an 0.60 ERA for the season (0.00 in conference) struck out two.

Palomar advanced to 18-16 on the season, 11-4 in the conference and remain in second place.

BOX | SEASON STATS


Hoyt, Ferguson pitch Comets past Arabs;

Willeford still on fire, hitting .615 last 26 AB's