After suffering just its second loss of the season earlier in the day, Palomar College softball entered the bottom of the fourth inning Saturday in the deciding game of their best-of-three Super Regional trailing by four runs against Antelope Valley College.

The Comets responded with a surge at the plate, breaking the game open to secure a 15-7 victory and clinch a berth in the 3C2A State Championship tournament.

“We always set the bar high and the standard high, but I had no preconceived expectation that we would try to go undefeated or be chasing this great winning percentage,” head coach Lacey Craft said. “We really focused on training and being better than we were the day before. That’s a credit to the girls and their effort.

At the end of the year, when we looked up and saw that we had such a great record, I think all of us were happy with the outcomes and the results of hard work, but I don’t think anybody was really striving for those things.”

With the pair of victories at the 3C2A Southern California Super Regionals – the Comets won the opener 8-4 – Palomar moved to 41-2 on the season.

“Obviously we want to win, but losing wouldn’t ruin the time we had during the season and
what we accomplished and how much we grew as a team and individually,” said Alexis Huey, who finished the series with five hits, six RBIs and a home run, adding to her record-setting season total of 22.

“We’ve all achieved so much, and we’ve all worked so hard throughout every game and every practice,” added Kiara Flaviani, the Comets’ ace pitcher, who earned her 35th win of the season in the clincher. “I think we would still look back on it and see how much fun we had, how hard we worked, and how we just put everything out onto the field and gave it our best.”

Back in February, Palomar swept a two-game series against Antelope Valley, outscoring the Marauders 23-0. This time, the matchup played differently. Antelope Valley forced a deciding Game 3 with an 11-9 extra-inning win in the second game, setting up the decisive finale.

“February is obviously a lot different three months down the road,” Craft said. “They have good power numbers in their lineup, and that’s probably their biggest strength. They also have depth in their bullpen, so their pitching staff is a lot like ours.”

Offensively, Lauren Doepping hit two home runs, while Ava Alvarez led the lineup with seven hits across the series.

In relief during the opener, Gianna Burgin worked 2.2 scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out five, closing the door on Antelope Valley.

“These girls that all come to practice with a great energy and effort, they make themselves better,” Craft said. “They push the players around them to be better.”

Palomar opens the state championship tournament Thursday against Santa Rosa Junior College. The tournament runs through May 18 at Bakersfield College and California State University, Bakersfield.

Palomar finished as state runner-up last season.