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'California State Tournament Runner-Up 2005'

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LEFT TO RIGHT: Zach Wilkins, Kyle Montiel, Chris Sanders

Wilkins, Montiel All-American; Sanders all-state

FRESNO (5-17-2013) -- Palomar pitchers Zach Wilkins and Kyle Montiel were named to the All-State first team by the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association on Friday morning, an honor that carries automatic Community College All-American recognition.

Center fielder Chris Sanders was selected to the All-State second team and was All-Southern California.

Montiel was automatically selected to the state first team as the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

Balloting was conducted at the state coaches meeting, held in conjunction with the CCCAA State Championship Final Four being played at Fresno City College.

Wilkins is a freshman from Scripps Ranch High School. Montiel is a sophomore from Carlsbad High School. Sanders is a sophomore from Murrieta Valley High School.

Wilkins named as conference's Athlete of Week

SAN DIEGO (5-15-2013) -- Palomar's Zach Wilkins is the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Men’s Athlete of the Week for all sports for the two weeks that ended on Sunday.

Wilkins, a freshman pitcher from Scripps Ranch High School, recorded his 10th and 11th saves of the season in 3-2 and 1-0 wins over Orange Coast in a first-round Southern Cal Regional Series, then came back to notch his 12th save in a 3-2 victory over Glendale in the Fullerton Super Regional.

He then switched to a starter’s role and pitched a complete-game, five-hit 8-0 shutout against Southern California No. 1 seed Fullerton, the host team at the Super Regional. The Comets eventually lost to the Hornets 7-6 in the finals as Fullerton moved on the this weekends CCCAA State Final Four.

ABOVE: Palomar's Matt Matlock slides into third base as Fullerton's left fielder can't get the ball into the infield on time after making an error on Chris Sanders' fifth-inning single in Sunday's second game. Comet head coach Buck Taylor is the third-base coach. -- Courtesy photo by Colleen Smith. BELOW LEFT: Pitcher Zach Wilkins, who went from his previous closer role to starter in the day's first game and shut out the Hornets 8-0 on a five-hit complete game. BELOW RIGHT: Chris Sanders. Sanders went 3-for-5 in a 10-2 win over Compton on Saturday (see below) and also was 3-for-5 in Sunday's first game. He had nine hits in five Super Regional games

Wilkins tosses shutout, then PC can't hold lead

FULLERTON (5-12-2013) -- Ace closer Zach Wilkins pitced a masterful  five-hit shutout to beat host and No. 1 seed Fullerton 8-0 in his first start of the season, keeping Palomar alive in the Fullerton Super Regional on Sunday.

But the Comets couldn't hold a 6-0 lead late in the day's second game and dropped a 7-6 heartbreaker to the Hornets for the championship of the Super Regional, sending Fullerton into this weekend's CCCAA State Final Four in Fresno and ending Palomar's season in agonizing disappointment.

The Hornets take a 30-13 record to Fresno while the Comets end the year 29-14.

"So close," Palomar coach Buck Taylor said to the San Diego Union-Tribune. And, for the Comets, so painful.

Game 1: Palomar 8, Fullerton 0 -- Wilkins, a freshman  right-hander who set a PC record with 12 saves this season, completely shut down the surprised Hornets, throwing 124 pitches in the complete game. He hadn't pitched more than two innings in 19 previous appearances.

He had a two-hitter through the first six innings and silenced the bats of the heavy-hitting Hornets, the Orange Empire Conference champions and the top post-season seed in Southern California, all game long.

Chris Sanders led a 14-hit attack for the Comets, going 3-for-5 with two of his three RBIs for the day and a sacrifice fly. He had nine hits in the Super RegionalDillan Smith also went 3-for-5 and drove in a run.

Palomar jumped to a 4-0 lead in the second inning, getting RBI singles from Eric Sapp, Smith and Matt Matlock and Sanders' sacrifice fly. The Comets made it 7-0 with a three-run fourth inning that was highlighted by Sanders' RBI single and Becker Sankey's two-run home run that scored Sanders ahead of him.

Matlock and Anthony Fernandez had two singles each. Dennis  Morton contributed an RBI single in the eighth inning. Justin Hargrove also had a single. And Palomar played nearly flawless defense, led by their middle infielders (Morton at shortstop, Smith at second).

Game 2: Fullerton 7, Palomar 6. Matlock's RBI single to the right side gave the Comets a 1-0 third-inning lead and the Comets continued on to a 6-0 lead through the top of the sixth behind the pitching of Taylor Miller, normally their set-up man.

But Miller began to tire, allowed a run in the bottom of the sixth and hit two batters with one out in the before coming out of the game. Fullerton came back with three runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth before usual Anthony McIver, who started against Glendale in the first game of the tournament on Friday, came in to put out the fire with a pop-up. By then, however, the damage had been done.

Sanders had an RBI single in the game. Smith, Morton, Sapp and Hargrove also hit safely. And Sankey, who caught 41 innings over the weekend, contributed a sacrifice fly and, as has been his specialty all season, was hit by two pitches in the game mand three times for the weekend. He reached base 14 times during the season as a hit batter.

PC downs Glendale, Compton to reach Day 3

FULLERTON (5-10-2013 / 5-11-2013) -- Palomar reached Sunday's third day of the Fullerton Super Regional by defeating Glendale 3-2 on Friday and El Camino-Compton Center 10-2 on Saturday afternoon, sandwiched around a 5-1 loss to Southern Cal No.1 seed Fullerton College on Saturday morning.

Freshman right-hander Vaughn Berberet pitched a complete-game victory to beat Compton.

Friday: Palomar 3, Glendale 2 -- The Comets, who showed an ability to come from behind late in games all year, rallied for two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to overcome a 2-1 deficit against the Vaqueros.

With one out, Nico Garbella walked, Becker Sankey was hit by a pitch, Dennis Morton singled to drive in a run and Denny Vigo drove in another run with a sacrifrice fly.

Palomar took a 1-0 second-inning lead on Dillon Smith's RBI single and that's the way it remained until Glendale scored  twice in the bottom of the eighth.

Garbella wet 2-for-3 and walked for the Comets. Eric Sapp contributed a double and Justin Hargrove and Sanders each had a single.

Taylor Miller (3-1) came on to earn the pitching win in relief and Zach Wilkins pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn his 12th save.

Saturday A.M.: Fullerton 5, Palomar 1 -- The Comets managed only three hits off the Hornets' Juan Beruman and Jacob Miller, singles by Matt Matlock  in the second inning, Hargrove in the sevbenth and Sanders in the ninth. Morton drove in Garbella with Palomar's only runwith a sacrifice fly in the seventh. The Comets stranded runners at third base  in the sixth and eighth innings.

Ryan Beliel pitched 4 2/3 innings of one-run relief.

Saturday P.M. Palomar 10, Compton 2 -- Berberet (6-1) allowed only one earned run in his first complete game of the season and the Comets banged out 11 hits to eliminate the Tartars. Compton had knocked Glendale out of the tournament in two games by beating the Vaqueros 4-3 in a morning game at Santa Ana College.

Sanders (3-for-5, double, RBI) and Garbella  (2-for-5 before leaving the game with a rib injury in the bottom of the ninth had multiple hits for Palomar.

Smith, Morton, Matlock, Hargrove, Dylan Navarro and Anthony Fernandez each contributed a single.

The Comets, leading 2-1, broke the game open with seven runs in the fifth.

PHOTOS: Palomar second baseman Dylan Smith fields a grounder and throws out Compton's Juan Avena for the third out in the bottomof the seventh. -- Photo by Hugh Cox. Vaughn Berbert, who pitched a complete game against the Tartars to advance to 6-1 on the season.

GLENDALE BOX | 

 

Vaughn Berberet (above) and his Palomar teammates are Super Regional-bound. -- Photo by Hugh Cox

Comets vs. Glendale on Fri. in Super Regional

SAN MARCOS (5-5-2013) -- The Palomar baseball team (26-11) will play Glendale (27-11) on Friday at 11 a.m. to begin the three-day Fullerton College Super Regional.

The Comets won two of three games to defeat Orange Coast in first-round play over the weekend, while the Vaqueros swept Grossmont in their first-round series.

Fullerton (27-12) and El Camino Compton Center (24-16) are the other teams in the Super Regional, one of two in Southern California next weekend, and will square off in Friday's 3 p.m. game.

Friday's winners will play on Saturday at 11 a.m. while the losers play at an alternate site at 10 a.m. The 11 a.m. loser and the 10 a.m. winner will play an elimination game Saturday at 3 p.m. The 11 a.m.winner will sit back and await an 11 a.m. Sunday meeting with Saturday afternoon's winner.

An extra game in the double-elimination tournament, if needed, would follow on Sunday afternoon.

The Fullerton Super Regional winner and the survivor of the Saddleback Super Regional (College of the Canyons, Saddleback, Cypress and Mt. SAC) will advance to the CCCAA State Championship Final Four on May 17-18-19 at Fresno City College along with the winners of two Northern California Super Regionals.

ABOVE: Denny Vigo, who had walked with two out, rounds third and heads home to score the only run of the series' third and deciding game in the second inning. He scored on Justin Hargrove's double to the bank in left field. OCC's Cody Bruder fields the ball in the background.  BELOW LEFT: Zach Wilkins, who notched his 11th save to break two Palomar records he previously shared, delivers a pitch in the ninth inning. -- Photos by Hugh Cox. BELOW RIGHT: Vaughn Berberet, who threw the first eight innings and was the winning pitcher

Berberet, Wilkins pitch PC into Super Regional

SAN MARCOS (5-4-2013) -- After Orange Coast tied the teams' first-round Southern California Best 2-of-3 series at a game each by winning Saturday's first game 5-2, Palomar's Vaughn Berberet and Zach Wilkins took command in the deciding second game.

Berberet and Wilkins combined on a four-hitter to shut out the Pirates 1-0, giving the Comets the series two games to one and putting them into a four-team Super Regional next weekend at either Fullerton College or Saddleback.

Berberet, a red-shirt freshman left-hander, blanked Coast on four hits over the first eight innings. Wilkins, a true freshman right-hander who tied the Comets' single-season and career records in a 3-2 win on Friday, came on to relieve Berbert to begin the top of the ninth and retired the Pirates 1-2-3 for his 11th save.

That gives him both the single-season and career marks by himself with one and possibly two weekends remaining in the Comets' season.

After going 0-and-2 against Orange Coast lead-off batter Zach Nehrir to begin the ninth inning, Wilkins retired Nehrir on a groundball to shortstop Dennis Morton. He struck out Austin Saenz looking and Danny Jimenez swinging for the game's final two outs.

Justin Hargrove drove in the game's only run in the second inning to lift Palomar to the win. He doubled to left center to drive in Denny Vigo, who had worked OCC left-hander Evan Porcella for a two-out walk. Porcella pitched a four-hitter in a losing cause for the Pirates.

Dillan Smith provided two of the Comets' four hits in the game, a single to left in the third inning and a bunt single to the third baseman in the eighth. Morton  contributed the other hit,  a single in the seventh.

Berberet made two huge defensive plays to help himself out.

The first came on a second-inning pickoff in a first-and-third situation when he teamed with Smith, his second baseman, to get Coast's Cody Bruder in a rundown between second and third. Berberet and Smith both held Manny Argomaniz at third during the play, as Berberet threw the ball to Smith, who threw back to Berberet who tagged out Bruder for out No. 3.

Berberet's second big defensive play came to lead off the eighth inning, when he somehow knocked down a screaming line drive back at him by Chris Iriart, then reacted quickly to field the ball which was bouncing away from him and threw out Iriart at first.

Center fielder Chris Sanders left his feet to make two big catches in the sixth and seventh innings and Hargrove, playing left, ran down a long fly ball hit by hit by Iriart down the left-field line in the fifth.

GAME 1 BOX | GAME 2 BOX | SEASON STATS

LEFT: Palomar catcher Becker Sankey tags  out Orange Coast's Cody Bruder on a relay from right fielder Nico Garbella-to first baseman Denny Vigo to Sankey in the fifth inning of the mornng game on Saturday. RIGHT: Comet second baseman Dillan Smith tags out Austin Saenz unsuccessfully trying to steal.on Sankey.in the sixth inning. -- Photos by Hugh Cox. BELOW: Reliever Cody Ells, who retired the side in order in OCC's final at bat, striking out two

Vigo 3-for-4 in A.M. game, but OCC ties series

SAN MARCOS (5-4-2013) -- Palomar knocked out 10 hits in Saturday morning's second game of its first-round CCCAA Southern California Regional series against Orange Coast at Myers Field.

But it wasn't enough as the Pirates won 5-2 to force a third game on Saturday afternoon.

 Denny Vigo went 3-for-4 for the Comets in the morning game. He drove in a second-inning run after Dennis Morton and Trey Gueda singled back-to-back with one out.

Vigo then singled through the left side to score Morton.

The Comets' other run came in the eighth inning. Chris Sanders doubled down the left field line and Becker Sankey drove him in with a single to right.

Gueda went 2-for-4 in the game. Smith and pinch-hitter Matt Matlock singled to round out the 10-hit attack.

Palomar got a big-time effort from relief pitcher Cody Ells in the eighth inning, OCC's last at-bat of the afternoon (the Pirates were home team for the middle game of the series).

Ells, a freshman right-hander from Rim of the World High School, came on at the beginning of the inning and struck out Anthony Virgen and Chris Iriart, then got Cody Bruder to fly out to Sanders in center field for the third out.

SAN MARCOS (5-03-2013) -- Freshman right-hander Zach Wilkins tied Palomar's single-season and career saves record on Friday and the Comets opened play in the Southern California Regionals with a 3-2 victory over visiting Orange Coast.

The Comets can clinch the Round 1 best 2-of-3 series by beating the Pirates again on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Myers Field. A third game, if necessary, would follow.

Anthony McIver pitched the first eight innings of Friday's win, advancing to 5-0 on the season, before Wilkins came on to retire Orange Coast 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth with a strikeout, ground ball and another strikeout. That gave him his 10th save.

Wilkins, brother of former Comet and current North Carolina State pitcher Ryan Wilkins, tied the Palomar single-season record set in 2009 by Casey Edelbrock, who later pitched for Lewis-Clark State in the NAIA World Series and in the Kansas City Royals organization.

Wilkins also equaled the Palomar career saves record, also 10, set by Jerry Stafford (1989-90) and tied by Chris Adams (1991-92), Edelbrock and Nick Carmichael (2011-12). Stafford went on to pitch for San Diego State and in the Florida Marlins organization. Adams later pitched for New Mexico. Carmichael currently pitches in the Detroit Tigers organization.

The Comets (25-11) fell behind 2-0 after 2 1/2 innings, tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the third, then scored what turned  out to be the winning run in the fourth.

Eric Sapp doubled, Dillan Smith singled and Becker Sankey knocked out an RBI single to highlight the third-inning rally. Vaughn Burberet walked to lead off the fourth, advanced to second on Justin Hargrove's sacrifice bunt and scored the winning run on an error with Sapp batting.

For the game, Sapp went 2-for-3 with a double and single. Dillan Smith went 2-for-4. Dennis Morton also was 2-for-4 and made a series of outstanding defensive plays at shortstop in his first game back from a knee injury.

Sankey came up big twice defensively. He gunned down Orange Coast's Greg Espinosa tryig to steal second in the fourth. He also stabbed a low pop-up hit by Manny Argomaniz just above his head in the eighth inning and gunned the ball to Morton, who made an athletic play to get Manny Jiminez, who had doubled, as he tried to get back to second.

Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year Kyle Montiel (7-1) will pitch for the Comets in Saturday's 10 a.m. game.

Orange Coast falls to 22-15.

SAN DIEGO (4-29-2013) -- Palomar landed seven players on the All-Pacific Coast Athletic Conference baseball team on Monday evening. The Comets' Kyle Montiel (left, photo by Hugh Cox) was voted Player of the Year honors by PCAC coaches. And Buck Taylor has been named the conference's Coach of the Year.

Montiel, a sophomore left-hander from Carlsbad High School who had a 7-0 conference record and 1.63 ERA for Palomar's conference championship team, was joined on the first team by two other PC pitchers, sophomore left-hander Anthony McIver and freshman right-handed closer Zach Wilkins. Freshman left-handed pitcher / outfielder Vaughn Berberet, was the first-team utility player.

The other Comets receiving first-team recognition were sophomore outfielders Chris Sanders and Nico Garbella, freshman infielder Dillan Smith and freshman Dennis Morton at designated hitter.

SAN MARCOS (4-28-2013) -- Palomar's Pacific Coast Athletic Conference baseball champions have been seeded sixth in the 18-team CCCAA Southern California Regionals and will begin a best-of-3 series against Orange Coast on Friday at 2 p.m. at Myers Field.

The Comets come in with a 24-11 record. The Pirates, the fifth-place finishers in the Orange Empire Conference, come in at 22-14.

The series will continue on Saturday at 10 a.m. An additional game, if necessary, would follow immediately.

And he'll put his 5-1 record and 3.16 ERA on the line when the Wolfpack hosts the nation's No. 1-ranked team, North Carolina, to open the ACC rivals' three-game series on Friday at Doak Field in Raleigh. The series is a sellout, with North Carolina State bringing the nation's longest Division I win streak of 15 games in a row into the game.

Wilkins, a 6-foot-2, 219-pound right-hander who came to Palomar from Cathedral Catholic High School, was 5-2 a year ago as an NC State junior, recording two wins with 6 2/3 shutout innings out of the bullpen vs. Vanderbilt to enable the Wolfpack to win the Raleigh Regional and advance to the Gainesville Super Regionals vs. overall No. 1 national seed Florida.

Against the Gators, Wilkins piched 5 1/3 strong relief innings in the second and deciding game to force extra innings but was out of the game by the time Florida won to advance to the College World Series.

Wilkins went 6-3 with three saves in making the All-PCAC first team as a Palomar freshman in 2010. As a sophomore in 2011, he was 4-2 with one save.

He's the older brother of current Palomar closer Zach Wilkins, a freshman right-hander out of Scripps Ranch High who is 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA and nine saves for the Comets, one save short of the Palomar record, entering the Southern California Regonals.

Ryan and Zach Wilkins are the sons of Dean Wilkins, a right-handed pitcher who was selected in the first round out of San Diego Mesa College by the New York Yankees in the old January draft in 1986 and pitched from 1989-1991 in the Major Leagues for the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros.

ABOVE LEFT PHOTO: Ryan Wilkins is shown picking up the win vs. Vandervilt in 2-12 as he pitches NC State into the Super Regionals. ABOVE RIGHT: Wilkins as a Palomar sophomore in 2011

Comets' silent bats unable to support pitchers

SAN DIEGO (4-25-2013) -- First, one must set the record straight.

Other than Pacific Coast Athletic Conference champion Palomar's being able to get work for its pitchers entering the Southern California playoffs and San Diego City College's frantically looking to close 2012 with a win after falling behind the Comets 4 games to 0 in the teams' season series, the game meant nothing.

The Knights won 1-0 as the Comets' bats went silent, managing only four hits against two City College pitchers.

For its part, Palomar got both superb pitching and superb defense in the game.

Starter Kyle Montiel (left) began the game with six 2-hit, shutout innings, striking out 6 batters, before coming out to get three other pitchers pre-playoff work.

Montiel, Emilio Esquibel, Taylor Miller and Rusty Edwards combined to throw a six-hitter at the Knights. Edwards (right) entered the game in the bottom of the eighth and handcuffed City College with a scoreless relief inning, striking out two.

Defensively, the Comets made three huge plays.

Center fielder Chris Sanders and first baseman Denny Vigo made back-to-back diving catches in the bottom of the second.

Sanders made his catch coming straight in on Ryan McClanahan's siking liner, matching his two diving catches in Tuesday's 4-3, 12-inning victory on Tuesday vs. San Diego Mesa.

Vigo sprinted back in foul territory and made an even more-spectacular catch of Randy Carrazco's foul pop-up as he laid out approaching the fence down the rightfield line.

The Comets' big scoring threat came in the top of the first first when Sanders singled to left with one out and, with two down, Becker Sankey singled to right. But the next batter hit a foul pop-up to the first baseman.

That was one of 15 pop-ups that Palomar hit to City College infielders.

The Comets' only other hits came on Josh Hargrove's double to center in the third inning and a single to the right side by Dillan Smith in the fifth.

San Diego scored the game's only run in the seventh inning, one Palomar barely missed averting when a relay to first base on what would have been an inning-ending double play was ruled late.

While the Knights (15-17, 13-12 in the PCAC) put their gear away, the Comets (24-11, 21-4) await Sunday's Southern California seeding meeting and will begin the post-season at home at Myers Field a week from Friday, on May 3.

ABOVE: Dillan Smith gets down a perfect bunt to advance Nolan Barraza, who had singled, to third and Eric Sapp, who had reached base on a walk, to second with none out in the bottom of the 12th. Mesa pitcher Andrew Dages went to third too late to get Barraza. Smith was safe on a sacrifice and fielder's choice to load  the bases and the Comets went on to score three runs and win the game 4-3. -- Photo by Hugh Cox. BELOW: Chris Sanders (left) and Nico Garbella (right), who drove in runs in the inning.

SAN MARCOS (4-23-2013) -- Palomar, trailing 3-1 to begin the bottom of the 12th inning, found a way to win Tuesday's next-to-last game of the regular season. The Pacific Coast Athletic Conference champions scored three runs to defeat San Diego Mesa 4-3 at Myers Field.

The victory was the Southern California sixth-ranked Comets' 15th in their last 16 games and 21st in their last 23 games and allowed them to keep their momentum intact leading up to Sunday's regional seeding meeting.

After Mesa scored two runs to take the lead in the top of the 12th, the Comets stormed back in the bottom of  the inning to load the bases on Nolan Barraza's single to center, a walk to Eric Sapp and Dillan Smith's sacrifice bunt. That loaded the bases when Mesa pitcher Andrew Dages went to third in an unsuccessful attempt to get Barraza, the lead runner.

Smith was credited with a sacrifice and fielder's choice and the next batter, Chris Sanders, singled to right field to drive in Barraza and cut the Olympians' lead to 3-2. Palomar coach Buck Taylor held Sapp at third and Nico Garbella followed with a sacrifice fly to center to drive in Sapp and tie the game 3-3.

Matt Matlock's groundball to the right side moved the runners to second and third and Smith scored the winning run when Dylan Navarro forced him in by getting hit by a pitch.

Matt Dinerman, the sixth Palomar pitcher of the afternoon, came in to get the final out in the top of the 12th and picked up the win. Starter Anthony McIver, Ryan Beliel, Isidro Perez, Zach Wilkins, Taylor Miller and Dinerman combined to throw an eight-hitter, allowing a total of one earned run between them.

They were helped along by two spectacular diving catches by Sanders in center.

Mesa, trailing 1-0 from the second inning on, had tied the game in the top of the ninth off Wilkins, Palomar's closer, on a bad-hop single through the right side.

Palomar banged out 12 hits.

Four Comets contributed multiple hits: Sanders (2-for-6, RBI), Garbella (2-for-5, sac fly, RBI), Justin Hargrove (2-for-5, double) and Trey Guedea (2-for-4). Smith, Vaughn Berberet, Barraza and Sapp all singled. Smith, Barazza and Sapp all got down successful sacrifice bunts while Matlock, Guedea and Navarro all reached base by getting hit by pitches.

The Comets (24-10, 21-3 in conference) will close out the regular season with a 2 p.m. game Thursday against San Diego City College at Morley Field in Balboa Park. They'll then be off until they host a first-round Southern California Regional series against an undetermined opponent on Friday and Saturday of next week at Myers Field, with one game Friday, a second game Saturday and a third game, if needed to follow immediately after the game second.

ABOVE: Eric Sapp slides into third base with a triple for the Comets in the third inning. -- Photo by Hugh Gerhardt. BELOW: Matt Matlock, one of four Comets with two hits each

SAN MARCOS (4-20-2013) -- Palomar played a sloppy, error-filled game on Saturday at Myers Field but the Comets' 11-4 victory over visiting Imperial Valley was as functional as could be.

After wrapping up no worse than a tie for the championship earlier in the week, the Comets clinched the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference title by themselves. The conference championship is the fifth in in Buck Taylor's eight seasons as head coach and the 15th ever for Palomar.

Palomar made up for seven sloppy errors with a 17-hit attack against the Arabs. Nolan Barraza (2-for-3, triple, 2 RBIs), Becker Sankey (2-for-3, double, 2 RBIs), Dillan Smith (2-for-4, RBI, hit by pitch, 2 stolen bases) and Matt Matlock (2-for-4, RBI, stolen base) had multiple hits.

Eric Sapp tripled and Denny Vigo doubled. Chris Sanders, Armando Valencia, Nico Garbella, Bubba Craig, Dylan Navarro, Trey Guedea and Troy Forester each added a hit.

Vaughn Berberet, the Comets' starter, pitched six innings of four-hit ball to move to 4-1 on the season. He allowed four runs, all unearned as Palomar made five of their errors behind him.

The Comets are 23-10, 20-3 in the PCAC with two regular-season games remaining. They host San Diego Mesa on Tuesday at 2 p.m. and will visit San Diego City College on Thursday at the same time.

Grossmont, which already has clinched second place, now  finds itself four games behind Palomar with two regular-season games left.

BOX

ABOVE: Chris Sanders slides into third base on a seventh-inning triple which tied Thursday's game at Grossmont 5-5. BELOW: Grossmont's Billy Flamion slides in high at second in the top of the fourth inning as Palomar shortstop Dennis Morton waits for a throw from right field. Morton went down on the play and had to be helped from the field with an injury to his right knee on the play.-- Photos by Hugh Cox

EL CAJON (4-18-2013) -- Palomar lost shortstop Dennis Morton to a knee injury in the fourth inning and lost Friday's game at Grossmont on a bases-loaded squeeze bunt in the bottom of the ninth.

The loss to the second-place Griffins, which snapped the Comets' win streak at 13 games, delayed Palomar's shot at clinching the undisputed Pacific Coast Athletic Conference championship by at least two days -- but the big concern is Morton's right knee. He had to be helped from the field after a play at second.

Palomar (22-10, 19-3 in conference), which clinched at least a tie for the PCAC title by beating Southwestern on Tuesday, was trying to win its season series from Grossmont 5 games to 0. Instead, the Comets won the series 4 games to 1. The Griffins (24-9, 16-6) clinched undisputed second place with the victory.

Chris Sanders went 2-for-3 for the Comets with a triple over the left fielder's head that drove in Eric Sapp with the tying run in the top of the seventh, after they entered the inning trailing 5-4. Matt Matlock had led off the inning with a single through the left side, and Sapp was on base on a fielder's choice that forced Matlock at second.

Sanders also singled, drew a walk, scored two runs and executed a sacrifice bunt -- and made a diving catch in center field that robbed Grossmont's Jesse Jenner of a hit to lead off the bottom of the seventh.

Grossmont center fielder Kacy Smith returned the favor the following inning when he sprinted toward the fence and, with his back to the plate, caught a long drive by Nolan Barraza to rob him of an extra-base hit.

Zach Wickham pitched three strong relief innings but took the loss in the ninth. He had left the game when pinch hitter Javier Gonzalez drove in the winning run on a picture-perfect squeeze.

Palomar's pitching staff surrendered the first home run by an opposing team all season when Flamion hit a two-run shot to right field off starter Kyle Montiel in the fifth.

Saturday's Palomar-IVC game will be played at Myers Field at 12 noon. The Comets lead Grossmont by three games with three to play, and will play their final two regular-season games next week when they host San Diego Mesa on Tuesday and travel to Morley Field in Balboa Park to face San Diego City College on Thursday.

BOX

ABOVE: With legendary 79-year-old longtime Southwestern coach Jerry Bartow watching, Becker Sankey doubles to drive in two runs with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to tie the game 3-3 on Tuesday. BELOW: Closer Zach Wilkins pitches to the Jaguars' Carlos Carriedo, the game's final batter, with two out in the top of the ninth in a 4-3 win.Wilkins retired the side in order in the inning and picked up his ninth save. -- Photos by Hugh Cox.

SAN MARCOS (4-16-2013) -- Palomar lost two battles but won the war on Tuesday, coming back in its final at-bat to down Southwestern 4-3 at Myers Field for its 13th straight win -- and clinching no worse than a tie for its third straight Pacific Coast Athletic Conference championship in the process.

The losses: Coach Buck Taylor, who was ejected for arguing balls and strikes with the plate umpire, and starting pitcher Andrew McIver, who took a batted ball off his shin after holding the Jaguars to only one earned run through 7 2/3 innings. McIver's injury was not serious. It turned out to be a bruise.

The war: Palomar (22-9,19-2) now leads second-place Grossmont, which was upset 5-4 by San Diego Mesa, by four games with four to play -- including a 2 p.m. game on Thursday against the Griffins in El Cajon when the Comets can clinch an undisputed title.

By winning Tuesday's game, Palomar already has clinched the PCAC's No. 1 playoff seed. The Comets have already swept all four meetings with the Griffins to clinch the teams' season series even before the Thursday game, and head-to-head results are the tie-breaker if teams tie for the conference title.

With Southwestern on top 3-1 and two out in the bottom of the eighth inning, Nico Garbella, Becker Sankey and Dennis Morton banged out back-to-back-to-back doubles. That put the Comets ahead by the final margin and set the stage for freshman closer Zach Wilkins, who retired the Jaguars 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth to notch his ninth save.

That leaves Wilkins one save shy of the Palomar single-season record with the four regular-season games and the post-season playoffs remaining.

Garbella led off the ninth by doubling into the rightfield corner. Sankey, whose single in the third inning had driven in Dillon Smith, aboard on a single, for Palomar's first run in the bottom of the third, then drove a ball into the leftfield corner, driving in Eric Sapp (aboard on a walk) and Garbella and tying the game 3-3.

Morton followed with a double to left that scored pinch-runner Dylan Navarro with what turned out to be the winning run.

Taylor Miller, who got the Comets out of the top half of the eighth when McIver had to leave the game, picked up the pitching win and set the stage for Wilkins.

Sankey (2-for-4 with the double and three RBIs) and Garbella (2-for-4 with his double) had multiple hits for the Comets, who managed only six hits off Southwestern's Kiki Medina, who pitched a complete game and took the loss.

Taylor will have to sit out Thursday's game because of the ejection. Associate head coach Ben Adams, who coached the Comets for the remainder of the game Tuesday after the ejection, will again be at the helm against Grossmont.

The win was Palomar's 19th in its last 20 games.

SAN MARCOS (4-13-2013) -- Palomar closed in on its third straight Pacific Coast Athletic Conference championship on Saturday at Myers Field by completing a sweep of a  three-game series with San Diego City College.

Red-shirt freshman left-hander Vaughn Berberet shut out the Knights 1-0 with relief help from Taylor Miller and Zach Wilkins, who notched his eighth save, as the Comets ran their win streak to 12 games.

Coach Buck Taylor's club (21-9, 18-2 in the PCAC) won for the 18th time in its last 19 games and still leads second-place Grossmont, an 8-7 winner over Southwestern, by three games. There are five games left in the conference season.

Berberet threw 7 1/3 innings of five-hit, shutout basebalL. Miller came on to get the last two outs in the eighth and Wilkins pitched a scoreless top of the ninth.

The Comets scored the game's only run off the Knights' Mark Vasquez, who pitched eight innings of five-hit ball, in the third inning. Chris Sanders singled to the left side of the infield with two out and came home on a booming double to right-center by Nico Garbella (right), the next batter.

Sanders went 2-for-4, his 16th multiple-hit game of the season and fourth in the last five games. Becker Sankey contributed a double. Matt Matlock added a single.

Palomar played outstanding defense in back of its pitchers, led by Garbella who made a diving catch of Drew Danziesen's foul fly ball to right for the final out in the first inning. Second baseman Dillan Smith and first baseman Eric Sapp also made big-time defensive plays in the second and seventh innings, and shortstop Dennis Morton turned a double-play in the fifth, taking a throw from Smith and relaying it to Sapp at first.

The Comets will host Southwestern on Tuesday at 2 p.m. The combination of a Palomar win and a San Diego Mesa upset of Grossmont, which has a nine-game win streak of its own, would enable the Comets to clinch at least a tie for the conference championship.

SAN DIEGO (4-11-2013) -- In the immortal words of Yogi Berra, it was "deja vu all over again."

Only this time, on Thursday afternoon, it was sophomore left-hander Kyle Montiel (left) who pitched a complete-game 2-1 victory over San Diego City College instead of sophomore left-hander Anthony McIver, who had done the same thing on Tuesday.

Montiel (7-1), like McIver, allowed only a lone unearned run. His performance gave Palomar its 11th straight victory, its 17th win in its last 18 games, and its 20th win of 2012.

It also enabled the Comets (20-9, 17-2) to remain three games up on second place Grossmont in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference. The Griffins downed Southwestern on Thursday 11-7.

And it all but eliminated the Jaguars from PCAC championship contention, dropping them six games behind the Comets with six games remaining.

Palomar supported Montiel, who has a 7-0 record in the conference, with a series of superb defensive plays. Second baseman Dillan Smith had a hand in most of them, handling eight chances of the field. Four of them ended City College innings, including two double-plays.

But the biggest defensive play of the afternoon came from Eric Sapp (right), who went in to play first base in the bottom of the ninth inning. Sapp did an athletic, acrobatic flip to catch a foul pop-up by the Knights' Randy Carrazci for the first out. Montiel quickly retired Alberto Robles on a ground ball to Smith for out No. 2 and Drew Danzeison on a ground ball to Sapp, who went to the bag for the final out of the game.

Trey Guerea and Smith both went 2-for-4 to account for half of the Comets' eight hits. Justin Hargrove, Sanders, Becker Sankey and Dennis Morton also hit safely.

The Comets took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning on Hargrove's single to left, Sanders' sacrifice bunt, a walk to Nico Garbella and a wild throw on Morton's infield single.

The Knights tied the game in the bottom of the inning, and Palomar then tallied the winning run in the top of the seventh. Morton walked with one out. Sankey singled through the right side to move him to second, and Guedea drove himin when he banged a single to left.

The two teams will complete a three-game series on Saturday at Myers Field, beginning at noon.

ABOVE AND BELOW LEFT: Anthony McIver, who threw a complete-game victory, deals to the plate. -- Photos by Hugh Cox. BELOW RIGHT: Chris Sanders, who was 3-for-4 and drove in the Comets' first run.

SAN MARCOS (4-09-2013) -- Sophomore left-hander Anthony McIver threw a complete-game five-hitter over 1 hour and 59 minutes on Tuesday at Myers Field to give Palomar its 10th straight victory, 2-1 over San Diego City College. The win was the Comets' 16th in their last 17 games.

The Knights' run, which came in the fourth inning, was unearned as McIver advanced to 4-0 on the season with a 2.45 earned run average over 66 innings. McIver struck out seven and walked one as he celebrated his 21st birthday a day late in style.

The first-place Comets (19-9, 16-2 in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference) lead second-place Grossmont by three games and third-place Southwestern by five games with seven conference games remaining. The Griffins defeated the Jaguars 8-4 on Tuesday.

Palomar took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on Justin Hargrove's leadoff single to right-center and a single to center by Chris Sanders that drove him in.

After City College tied the game in the top of the fourth, the Comets went back in front 2-1 in the bottom of the inning on singles by Becker Sankey, Dillan Smith and Hargrove. Hargrove's hit, to center field, scored Sankey.

Palomar got to the Knights' Brent Daugherty, who also threw a complete game, for 11 hits but left 10 runners on base.

Sanders went 3-for-4 with the RBI for the Comets. Sankey also went 3-for-4. Hargove was 2-for-4 with the triple and RBI. Danny Vigo, Smith and Trey Guedea also hit safely.

The two teams will play the second game of the series on Thursday at 2 p.m. at Morley Field in Balboa Park, and will play the third game on Saturday at noon back at Myers Field.

SAN MARCOS (4-04-2013) -- Led by sophomore left fielder Justin Hargrove (left), who went 4-for-5 with 3 doubles, 1 run scored, 3 RBIs and a spectacular diving catch, Palomar ran its win streak to nine games on Saturday.

The Comets swept a three-game series from San Diego Mesa with a 9-6 win on the road. Dennis Morton and Eric Sapp hit back-to-back home runs in the third inning as Palomar won for the 15th time in its last 16 games.

The Comets moved to 18-9 on the season, 15-2 in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference. They lead second-place Grossmont, an 8-1 winner over Imperial Valley on Friday, by three games and third-place Southwestern, a 9-5 loser to San Diego City College on Saturday, by four games with eight to play.

Morton (3-for-5, 2 RBIs, stolen base), Chris Sanders (3-for-6, double, 2 RBIs), Sapp (2-for-5, RBI) and Nolan Barraza (2-for-5, double) also had multiple hits for Palomar.

Nico Garbella was hit by pitches twice and threw out a runner trying to score from second on a fly out to right. Dillan Smith stole two bases.

Starting pitcher Vaughn Berberet, who pitched 5 1/3 innings, recorded the win and is now 2-1. Zach Wilkins, the Comets' sixth pitcher of the afternoon, came on to get his seventh save in the bottom of the ninth.

Catcher Becker Sankey gunned down a runner attempting to steal.

Chris Sanders slides in safely at the plate for Palomar in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Comets scored three runs on Nico Garbella's bases-loaded squeeze bunt and a wild throw on the play -- Photos by Deb Hellman.

SAN MARCOS (4-04-2013) -- Palomar kept a good thing going on Thursday at Myers Field as the Comets defeated Pacific Coast Athletic Conference opponent San Diego Mesa 10-7 to make it eight straight wins and 14 victories in their last 15 games.

Chris Sanders went 3-for-4 with a triple, an RBI, a walk and a running catch that saw him come all the way over from center toward the left-field line to make the play.

Rounding out the Comets' 11-hit attack against three Mesa pitchers: Dennis Morton went 2-for-4 with a double, a sacrifice fly and two RBIs. Becker Sankey went 2-for-4. Denny Vigo doubled to drive in a run, reached base as a hit batter and drove in another run when he drew a walk with the bases loaded.

Nico Garbella singled and drove in a run on an eighth-inning, bases-loaded squeeze play, with two more runs scoring on a wild throw on the play. Vaughn Berberet singled, contributed a sacrifice bunt and drove in a run with a fielder's choice. Dylan Navarro added a single and stole a base.

Nolan Barraza drove in a run on a ground ball, and Dillan Smith chipped in with a walk and two sacrifice bunts.

Starting pitcher Kyle Montiel ran his record to 61 as he scattered six hits over seven innings, allowing two unearned runs. Taylor Miller got the Comets out of a jam when he struck out a batter for the final out with runners on second and third in the eighth inning. Appearing in a non-save situation, closer Zach Williams pitched a hitless ninth inning. He also gave up an unearned run.

First-place Palomar (17-9, 14-2 in conference to lead Grossmont and Southwestern by three games) closes this week's series vs. Mesa on Saturday at 12 noon in San Diego.

SAN DIEGO (4-02-2013) -- Palomar's 9-8 victory over host San Diego Mesa on Thursday was neither pretty nor fundamentally sound. But it was very, very functional.

By running their win streak to seven games, and getting some help from San Diego City College in the form of a 6-5 upset of Southwestern, the first-place Comets stretched their lead in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference lead to three games over the Jaguars and Grossmont with 10 games to play.

Coach Buck Taylor's club, which has won 13 of its last 14 games and has lost only once since Feb. 26, advances to 16-9 on the season, 13-2 in conference. Grossmont, a 20-2 winner over Imperial Valley, and Southwestern are both 10-5.

The Comets, getting outstanding pitching from starter and winner Anthony McIver (left, 3-0) and freshman closer Zach Wilkins' sixth save of the season, overcame a defensive meltdown (seven errors, six by their infield) to win the game. All eight of Mesa's runs were unearned.

McIver was victimized by Palomar's first four errors and the first three unearned runs. But he pitched seven innings of four-hit ball before being relieved by Ryan Beliel, who was the victim of three of the errors in a nightmare five-run eighth inning as Mesa cut a 9-3 Palomar lead to the final 9-8 margin.

Wilkins came on to get the final out in the eighth, then threw a scoreless ninth inning to slam the door on the Olympians.

As bad as Palomar's defensive play was, the offense was every bit as good.

Vaughn Berberet clubbed a solo home run over the rightfield fence in the seventh inning and Nico Garbella (right) smashed a two-run HR over the leftfield fence in the eighth as the Comets banged out 15 hits off three Mesa pitchers.

Nolan Barraza went 3-for-4 with a double and also contributed a sacrifice bunt. Garbella went 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Berberet went 2-for-4 and had two RBIs. Dennis Morton was 2-for-5 with two doubles. Justin Hargrove was 2-for-3 with three RBIs, was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and had a sacrifice bunt.

Denny Vigo added a double. Dillan Smith singled and also drove in a run on a squeeze bunt. Chris Sanders drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Eric Sapp singled and was hit by a pitch. Trey Guedea contributed a pinch-hit single.

Hargrove, the Comets' catcher, gunned down two Mesa runners attempting to steal.

The two teams will resume their series on Thursday at 2 p.m. at Myers Field and will conclude the week with another meeting at Mesa on Saturday at noon.

SAN DIEGO (4-02-2013) -- Palomar baseball player Dillan Smith, a freshman from Temescal Canyon High School in Elsinore, has been selected as Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Men's Athlete of the Week for all sports.

Smith, the Comets' second baseman, went 7-for-14 with an inside-the-park home run, seven runs scored, five RBIs, three walks, a sacrifice fly and a steal as Palomar swept three games from Imperial Valley 11-5, 11-4 and 23-1. In the final game of the series, he went 3-for-5 with the home run, three runs scored, four RBIs, a walk and a sacrifrice fly.

Smith leads the Comets with a .380 batting average and has 15 RBIs, eight walks, four sacrifice flies to lead the team, nine sacrifice bunts to lead the team, a .424 on-base perdcentage to lead the team and six steals on six attempts.

He also leads Palomar in the PCAC with a .478 average.

IMPERIAL (3-29-2013) -- Redshirt freshman left-hander Vaughn Berberet (left) pitched six dominating innings of two-hit, shutout ball and visiting Palomar made it six straight wins and 12 victories in their last 13 games on Friday, unloading on Imperial Valley 23-1.

Berberet, who recorded the win, Taylor Miller, Rusty Edwards and Zach Wilkins combined on a three-hitter as the Comets advanced to 15-9 and 12-2 to remain two games ahead of second-place Southwestern in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference. The Jaguars defeated San Diego Mesa on Saturday 7-0.

Led by freshman second baseman Dillan Smith (right, 3-for-5, inside-the-park home run, sacrifice fly, walk, three runs scored, four RBIs), Palomar banged out 20 hits against five IVC pitchers.

Nolan Barraza  (3-for 4, 2 RBIs), Dennis Morton 2-for-5, 2 doubles, 3 RBIs), Dylan Navarro (2-for-3, double, 3 RBIs),  and Nico Garbella (2-for 3, 2 sacrifice flies, 2 RBIs) and Anthony Fernandez (2-for-2, double) also had multiple-hit games for Palomar. Armando Valecia tripled and drove in a run. Chris Sanders, Matt Matock and Eric Sapp each added an RBI single.

The Comets led by only 1-0 over the first four innings before scoring 22 runs in the fifth through the ninth.

Palomar plays three games against Mesa this upcoming week, on Tuesday and Saturday on the Olympians' field, sandwiched around a 2 p.m. game on Thursday at Myers Field.

SAN MARCOS (3-28-2013) -- First-place Palomar wasn't at its best on Thursday afternoon. But the Comets still stretched their lead over second-place Southwestern to two games as the 25-game Pacific Coast Athletic Conference season passed the halfway point.

Chris Sanders (left) went 2-for-4 with a double, a stolen base and three RBIs as the Comets (14-9, 11-2 in conference) came back from an early 2-0 deficit to down Imperial Valley 11-4 at Myers Field. Down south, San Diego Mesa knocked off Southwestern 2-0, dropping the Jaguars two games off the PCAC lead. Third-place Grossmont turned back San Diego City College 9-8 and still trails the Comets by three games.

Nolan Barraza (2-for-4, double) and Dillan Smith joined Sanders with multiple-hit performances.

Sanders played a major role in two big innings by Palomar which produced all of the Comets' 11 runs and all of their nine hits as coach Buck Taylor's team overcame a listless performance against the last-place Arabs.

Palomar hung a 5-spot on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third, when Sanders contributed a two-run, opposite-field single to right which gave the Comets their first lead of the afternoon at 3-2. He also stole a base and scored a run on a wild pitch inning.

Dylan Navarro, Barraza and Smith all singled in the inning. Matt Matcock and Nico Garbella drew walks, and Becker Sanky was hit by a pitch.

IVC closed the gap to 5-4 in the top of the following inning, and that's the way it remained until the Comets came to bat in the bottom of the seventh still clinging to a one-run lead. Palomar pushed across six runs in the inning to lead by the final 11-4 margin.

Sanders doubled to right to drive in a run, Barraza also had a double in the inning, Dennis Morton had a two-run single, and Smith and Garbella each had a single. Vigo drew a walk in the inning and Sankey forced in a run when he was hit by a pitch for the third time.

The Arabs took advantage of three Palomar errors to score four unearned runs off starter and winner Kyle Montiel, who worked five innings to run his win-loss record to 5-1. Montiel lowered his earned run average to 2.44 on the season over 51 2/3 innings and to 1.07 for 33 2/3 innings in conference. He has a 5-0 conference record.

Ryan Belliel (above right) pitched two innings of hitless, scoreless ball in relief. Isidro Perez and Matt Dinerman each contributed one one no-hit, shutout inning as the Comets' bullpen came up big to help Palomar to its fifth straight win and its 11th victory in its last 12 games.

The two teams finish the week's series with a 2 p.m. game on Friday at Imperial.

IMPERIAL (3-26-2013) -- With Nico Garbella (left) going 3-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and a steal, Palomar jumped on Imperial Valley early and went on to win Tuesday's Pacific Coast Athletic Conference game 11-5.

The win moves the first place Comets to 13-9 on the season, 10-2 in the PCAC. They retain a one-game lead over second-place Southwestern, which beat San Diego Mesa 5-4 in 11 innings, and a three-game lead over third-place Grossmont, which defeated San Diego City College by an identical 5-4 score in 11.

It was over after 1 1/2 innings as starting pitcher Anthony McIver (right) worked 5 2/3 innings to advance to 2-0.

Palomar went in front of the Arabs 1-0 in the top of the first when leadoff batter Dillan Smith singled to center, went to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on Chris Sanders' sacrifrice bunt and scored on Garbella's ground out to short.

The Comets then scored six times in the top of the second to lead 7-1. Vaughn Berberet walked and  went to second on a balk. Dennis Morton reached base as a hit batter. Nolan Barraza singled to center, driving in Berberet. Matt Matlock drove in Morton with a ground ball to the right side.

Smith walked, stole second, and with two out Barraza and Smith scored on Garbella's two-run, opposite field double to right. Denny Vigo singled to right, driving in Garbella. Becker Sankey singled to the shortstop to score Garbella. And Berberet singled to center to drive in Vigo, making  it 7-0.

Smith (2-for-5 with an RBI, a walk and a steal), Barraza (2-for-5 with an RBI, a walk and a steal) and Vigo (2-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch) and Armando Valencia (2-for-2 off the bench) joined Garbella with multiple hits. Matlock, who also had two steals, and Bubba Craig had Palomar's other hits to round out a 17-hit attack off four IVC pitchers.

Emilio Esquibel and Cody Ells, who finished the game witth a pair of shutout innings, allowing one hit, followed McIver to the mound.

Imperial Valley, which fell to 1-11 and 2-20, comes to Myers Field for a 2 p.m. game Saturday, and the teams will conclude their three-game series back at Imperial on Friday at the same time. The series finale has been moved up a day to avoid playing on Saturday of Easter week.

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PC wins on Navarro's sac fly in 11; Sanders 4-4

SAN MARCOS (3-23-2013) -- Chris Sanders (left) went 4-for-4 with a run scored, a sacrifice fly, an RBI and a sit-down sliding catch in center at Myers Field on Saturday, and Pacific Coast Athletic Conference leader Palomar beat Grossmont 4-3 in the bottom of the 11th on a sacrifice fly by Dylan Navarro.

The Comets fell behind 3-2 in the top of the 11th. then scored two runs to win the game in the last half of the inning. Becker Sankey, who went 2-for-4, led off with a single through the left side and Palomar sent Matt Matlock in to run  for him.

Dennis Morton beat out a bunt single, with the runners advancing when Grossmont's pitcher fielded the bunt and threw the ball away.

The Griffins decided to walk Nolan Barraza intentionally to load the bases. Dillan Smith and Navarro followed with back-to-back sacrifice flies to tie the game and then win it.

The victory gave the Comets a sweep of the week's three-game series with Grossmont, which was tied with them for first place entering the week. It also gives Palomar a 4-0 lead in five conference games between the two teams. The Comets lead second-place Southwestern, an 8-0 winner over Imperial Valley, by one game and are three games up on the third-place Griffins.

The Comets (12-9, 9-2 in conference) got a combined seven-hitter from red-shirt freshman left-hander Vaughn Berberet (right), who threw two-hit ball over six innings in his first community college start, Zach Wickham, Rusty Edwards, Taylor Miller and Zach Wilkins.

Wilkins pitched the final 1 2/3 innings to record the win.

Palomar 1-0 lead in the first inning on Sanders' one-out single to center, a back, Nico Garbella's fly ball that moved him from second to third and Denny Vigo's RBI single to center with two outs.

After Grossmont tied the game in the second inning, the Comerts went back in front 2-1 in the third when Smith beat out a bunt single, stole second, went to third on Justin Hargrove's single and scored on Sanders' squeeze bunt to the pitcher.

The Griffins tied it up again in the eighth, then took a 3-2 lead in the top of the 11th, setting the stage for Palomar's two-run rally to win it in the bottom of the inning.

Trey Guedea also hit safely for Palomar.

The Comets begin a three-game series with Imperial Valley this upcoming week, with 2 p.m. games on Tuesday at Imperial, Thursday at Myers Field and Friday back at IVC.

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Vigo stays hot and Comets beat G-House again

EL CAJON (3-21-2013) -- Denny Vigo continued to swing a hot bat on Thursday, and first-place Palomar won for the eighth time in its last nine games, downing Grossmont for the second time in three days 7-5 at Noel Mickelsen Field.

Vigo (left) went 3-for-4 with a home run, double, walk and three RBIs as the streaking Comets (11-9, 8-2) remained one game ahead of second-place Southwestern and dropped the Griffins (14-7, 6-4) into third place in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference race.

Dillan Smith went 2-for-3 for Palomar with a double and two walks. Nico Garbella was 2-for-5 and drove in a run.

Winning pitcher Kyle Montiel (4-1) began the game with five shutout innings before seeing his consecutive shutout inning streak snapped at 31 1/3.

Ryan Beliel relieved Montiel during Grossmont's four-run sixth inning and kept the Griffins in check until Zach Wilkins (right) pitched a hitless, scoreless ninth inning to record his fifth save.

The Comets jumped out to a 5-0 lead with two runs in the third inning and three more in the top of the fifth.

Smith walked on four straight pitches to lead off the top of the third. Chris Sanders singled to left field to move Smith to second, Garbella got down a bunt single to the left side and Vigo singled through the left side of the infield to drive in Sanders.

Smith started the fifth-inning rally by doubling down the leftfield line. Sanders moved him to third with a groundball. Garbella drove in Smith with a single to left, and Vigo followed with a home run over the leftfield fence to score Garbella ahead of him and put the Comets up by five runs.

After Grossmont's four-run sixth, Palomar answered right back with two runs in the top half of the seventh. With one out, Vigo doubled down the leftfield line, Eric Sapp walked, Dennis Morton followed with a hit-and-run single to drove in Vigo and Trey Guedea scored Sapp with a squeeze-bunt single to the pitcher.

Defensively, the Comets were helped along by Sanders, who made a diving catch in center; by Garbella, who made a running catch of a foul fly to right and made an off-balance throw back into the infield to save a run; and Sapp, who made two big plays at first base.

Palomar clinched the season series between the two teams, taking a three games to none lead with two meetings remaining to give the Comets the advantage in a potential tie-breaker. The two teams play again on Saturday at Myers Field at 2 p.m.

BOX | SEASON STATS

ABOVE: Chris Sanders rounds the bag at second on his fourth-inning triple. He scored the game's first run later in the inning on a Denny Vigo single. BELOW LEFT: Catcher Becker Sankey holds his ground to tag out Grossmont's Billy Flamion after a laser throw from leftfielder Justin Hargrove in the seventh inning. Flamion unsuccessfully tries to take Sankey out. -- Photos by Hugh Cox. BELOW: Starter and winning pitcher Anthony McIver

McIver, Comets win 2-0; PC back alone in 1st

SAN MARCOS (3-19-2013) -- Tuesday was about as good a day as Palomar's Anthony McIver could ever have hoped for.

With his future coach Rich Hill of the University of San Diego watching, the 6-foot-4 sophomore left-hander shut down Grossmont 2-0 at Myers Field as he pitched the Comets back into the undisputed Pacific Coast Athletic Conference lead.

The G-House had moved into a tie for first place with the Comets by routing San Diego Mesa 14-2 on Saturday. But McIver, a Rancho Buena Vista High School product and transfer from Notre Dame who signed early with USD, made sure the Griffins' stay at the top would be a short one as he dominated them for eight shutout innings.

With the help of single runs in the fourth and sixth innings, and huge defensive plays by center fielder Chris Sanders and left fielder Justin Hargrove, McIver slammed the door on the Griffs.

Then he showed them the door, shoving them into a tie for second place with Southwestern, which escaped with an 8-6 win at Imperial Valley. Coach Buck Taylor's Comets, who have won seven out of their last eight games, lead the conference with a 7-2 record, followed by the Griffins and Jaguars at 6-3.

Palomar, which saw its six-game win streak snapped 2-1 at Southwestern on Saturday, turned right around and ended Grossmont's six-game win streak as McIver won his pitchers' duel with the Griffins' Kendall Lindley, another left-hander who brought a 4-1 record into Tuesday's game.

The Comets took a 1-0 lead off Lindley in the bottom of the fourth inning when Sanders tripled into the right-field corner with one out and, with two down, scored on Denny Vigo's RBI single to center.

They made it 2-0 in the sixth. After Nico Garbella, who led off the inning, was robbed of a hit by Billy Flamion's diving catch in right field, Vigo doubled to left. With two out, Becker Sankey drove Vigo in with a double to left. Dennis Morton and Nolan Barreza followed with back-top-back singles. The Comets then left the bases loaded -- but the damage had been done.

Sanders made the first big defensive play in back of McIver when he sprinted straight in from center field to make a diving catch which robbed the Griffins' Curren Facer of a hit. If the ball would have gotten by Sanders, Facer likely would have at least made it to third base and possibly would have scored.

The second big defensive play came courtesy of Hargrove, a transfer from Grossmont, in the top of the seventh as he gunned down Flamion trying to score from second on a single with a laser throw from left field.

Palomar also got a clutch pitching performance from freshman right-hander Zach Wilkins, who came on in the ninth inning with a runner on second and retired the Griffins 1-2-3 for his fourth save.

Vigo and Dennis Morton each went 2-for-4 for Palomar with two singles each.

Trey Guedea doubled and Hargrove singled for the Comets' other hits.

Palomar and Grossmont play two more games against each other this week, at the Griffins' Noel Mickelsen Field on Thursday at 2 p.m. and Saturday back at Myers Field at the same time.

BOX

PCAC Athlete of the Week Kyle Montiel pitches in Comets' 1-0 win over Southwestern last Thursday. -- Photo by Hugh Cox

Montiel is PCAC Athlete of Week for all sports

ABOVE: Palomar first baseman Eric Sapp applies the tag as pitcher Vaughn Berberet picks off Southwestern's Albert Mikell in the fifth inning on Saturday. -- Photo courtesy of Russell Scoffin, Southwestern College. BELOW LEFT: Berberet, who allowed one run on three hits in 4 2/3 innings of relief. BELOW RIGHT: Nolan Barraza, who drove in the Comets' run

Streak ends in 2-1 game; PC back in tie for 1st

Garbella (4-for-5), PC top Mesa for 3rd in row

PC gets 17 hits but can't hold lead and falls 9-8

CHULA VISTA (2-26-2013) -- Palomar twice took the lead in the top of an inning, but was unable to shut down Southwestern in the bottom of the inning as the Comets dropped their Pacific Coast Athletic Conference opener to Southwestern 9-8 on Tuesday.

This, despite mounting a 17-hit attack.

The killer was the sixth inning, when Palomar scored five runs to take a 7-4 lead, then gave up five runs in the bottom of the inning.

Dillan Smith (left, 3-for-3, 2 sacrifice bunts) and Dennis Morton (right, 3-for-5) led the 17-hit attack for the Comets. Nico Garbella (2-for-5, stolen base, 2 RBIs), Vaughn Berberet (2-for-4, sacrifice fly, 2 RBIs), Matt Matlock (2-for-6, RBI) and Chris Sanders (2-for-6) also had multiple hits.

Isidro Perez, the third Palomar pitcher of the day, struck out the only batter he faced in the bottom of the sixth to finally get the Comets out of the inning. He threw 2 1/3 innings of one-hit, scoreless ball to close out the game, striking out three, walking none and allowing only one base runner. But his effort came too late.

BOX

Palomar nearly stuns Coast (11-2), falls in 10

COSTA MESA (2-22-2012) -- Palomar came oh-so-close to upsetting Orange Coast on Friday at Wendall Pickens Field, rallying from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game in the seventh, but left the bases loaded and eventually lost 3-2 in 10 innings.

The Pirates, who are off to an 11-2 start to the season, scored the winning run with two out in the bottom of the 10th to give coach John Altobelli his 500th victory.

Chris Sanders led off the Palomar seventh by blooping a single into short right field and stole second. With one out, Sanders went to third on Dillan Smith's ground ball to the right side and scored on a passed ball to cut Coast's lead to 2-1.

With two out, Nico Garbella drew a walk, Justin Hargrove singled to left and Trey Guedea singled through the left side of the infield to drive in Garbella from second. Eric Sapp walked to load the bases but the Comets left the bases loaded.

Sanders (left) and Gueda (right) each went 2-for-4 for the Comets. Along with Hargrove, Sapp and Bubba Craig also hit safely.

Palomar got strong pitching performances from starter Kyle Montiel and relievers Zach Wickham and Ryan Beliel in the los

PC can't overcome 5-0 1st-inning, loses 11-5

FULLERTON (2-16-2013) -- Palomar spotted host Fullerton a 5-0 first-inning lead, eventually battled back, bot it was too little, too late as the Comets dropped an 11-5 non-conference decision to the Hornets on Saturday afternoon.

The Comets got multiple-hit performances from Dennis Morton (3-for-5, double, RBI), Nico Garbella (3-for-5, double) and Chris Sanders (2-for-5) in the loss.

Vaughn Berberet came on in relief to throw 1 1/3 innings of good relief before running into trouble in the fourth inning. Palomar also got effective relief pitching performances from Matt Dinerman, Emilio Esquibel and Rusty Edwards.

Comets shut down and lose both lead, game

SAN MARCOS (2-14-2013) -- Leading by 8-1 after five innings,  Palomar saw Fullerton come from behind to pin the Comets with another close non-conference loss on Thursday at Myers Field, this one by a 10-8 score.