Over the weekend, the Palomar College baseball team defeated the defending California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) champions the Riverside City College Tigers in a two-game series.
During the game on Friday, sophomore Kyle Carr pitched through the fifth inning allowing four hits and six strikeouts. Throughout the game, the Comets scored seven runs and nine hits including a double by sophomore Carter Hain in the fifth inning. In the sixth inning, sophomore Blake Ignaciak was brought in to replace Carr, pitching through the seventh inning allowing one run to the Tigers after hitting an opponent with bases loaded. Following the sixth inning, the Comets pitching staff didn’t allow any hits to the Tigers winning the game 7-1.
Carr got his second win of the season. After the game he stated, “I’m excited to be back on the mound again after missing last season due to injuries.” Throughout Carr’s career, he has struggled mentally due to injuries, but with the support from his mom and head coach Ben Adams, they have given him the motivation to stay positive. Carr stated, “My mom has helped me mentally, not get down on myself from being injured.”
On Saturday, sophomore Logan Hunt struggled to pitch through the second inning allowing eight hits and six runs to the Tigers. During the third inning, freshman Wyatt Hamro came into the game to replace Hunt and pitched through the sixth inning, not allowing the Tigers a hit. The Comets bats came alive, starting with a two-run home run by sophomore Kyle Harvey in the fourth inning. For the majority of the game, the Tigers held the lead until the bottom of the sixth inning when the Comets made a significant comeback starting with back to back singles by sophomores Caden Szuba and Jack Sanders. Also in the sixth inning, Harvey hit a double extending the lead dominating the Tigers 11-6.
Following the game, Hamro was able to get his first win as a college baseball player stating, “It felt great being able to get my first win especially since they were the defending champions last year.” Hamro expressed how excited he is to “compete on the mound and hopefully win the state championship.”
While talking to Adams, he described “There are a lot of new faces this year so I’m excited to see how well they do during the season.” As a coach, Adams teaches the team communication skills, how to hold themselves accountable, and building relationships for the future. During practices, Adams motivates the players by “talking to them about what their goals are and providing support to those who are struggling.”
