No. 14 College of the Canyons softball has been eliminated from the postseason following a pair of road losses at No. 3 Palomar College May 2-3.

Canyons (20-22) suffered an 8-0 five-inning loss in the opener before falling by a 7-3 final score in game two. Palomar College (38-3), which had been the top ranked team in the state according to the most recent statewide coaches poll, advances to play No. 6 Cerritos College on the 3C2A SoCal Super-Regional round.

The Cougars struggled to make any headway vs. Palomar hurler Nevaeh Haywood in game one. Haywood (17-2) tossed four strong innings, allowing three hits and a pair of walks alongside one strikeout.

Palomar pushed across an early run in the first before big rallies in the second and third innings to build the insurmountable 8-0 lead. That output was aided by three COC errors. The Comets also received home runs from Isabella De Filippis and Gisele Gonzalez and an RBI triple from Breanna Lutz, the 3CFCA South Player of the Year.

Brooke Petretti doubled to lead off the fourth inning but couldn’t get any closer. Canyons also got two baserunners aboard in the fifth but failed to score.

COC starter Nichole Muro (9-9) took the loss after pitching the first one and 2/3 innings, and allowing five runs, three earned. Akane Gonzalez saw 2 and 1/3 innings of work, also allowing three earned runs.

In game two, Canyons found itself in a similar scenario with the Comets jumping out to an early 2-0 lead in the first against Gonzalez, who drew the start. Another three-run outburst in the fourth put the score at 7-0 after five. Gonzalez (11-11) suffered the loss after allowing all seven runs.

Canyons was able to get on the board with Krista Viereck‘s home run in the sixth. In the final frame it was Jeniece Jimenez with a two-run double that scored Yahali Gonzalez and Mia Reese for the eventual 7-3 final score.

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