‘Showdown series’ set Griffins vs. Palomar

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: March 15, 2026

2926 GROSSMONT COLLEGE BASEBALL

East County Sports.com

FLETCHER HILLS — The first portion of the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference “showdown series” starts Tuesday, when a pair of undefeated ballclubs — Grossmont and Palomar colleges — collide to oipen a 5-gane season seroes.

The Griffins and Comets enter with perfect 9-0 marks against the other four PCAC clubs, so this head-to-head series will determine the champions and gain the higher seed to the CCCAA/3C2A state championships.

A similar situation occurred during the 2017 season, when both schools stopped the other four opponents be counts of 20-games-to-0 each, with the G-House taking the 5-game set with Palomar, 3-2, to claim the pennant with a 23-2 record as opposed to the Comets’ 22-3 ledger.

But sides posted 3-0 records last week, so both would assurely by in the state rankings 00 except the 3C2A has yet to release a state poll after nire than six weeks of play.

Grossmont 7, San Diego Mesa 5
At Grossmont: Grossmont took an early lead with single runs over three consecutive innings.But when Mesa finally answered wth a run in thte fifth, Grossmont immediately responded with a4-run outburst to mount a 7-1 cushion.

Griffins starting pitcher Rowan Haynes,who is expect to take the mound in Tuesday’s (Mar. 17) opener with Palomar, went seven strogn innings to raise his record to 4-1.

Haynes allowed juts a pair of his while striking nout eight Mesa batters.

Meanwhile, right fielder Talon Tucker bombed a pair of hime runs to lead the offensive attack. For the contest, Tucker batted 3-for-3 and scored twice.

First baseman Noah Libed added a key 2-run double in the fifth ,

Grossmont 12-7, San Dego City 5-2
Ar Morley Field, Boaboa Park: The slow-starting Griffins allowed four City runs in the first, then out-scored the Knights by a 12-1 count thw rest of the way to take Thursday’s (Mar. 12) series ipener.

Eric Flores entered from the Grossmont bullpen to dazzle with seven full franes of 4-hit relief to gain his first-ever Dlores was backed by a pair of double plays.

Tucker smacked a home run and a double, goods for three RBI. Libed added two more his for a pair of additional runs.

At Fletcher Hills: The Griffins mounted a 6-0 lead tocoast in Saturday’s (Mar. 14) series finale.

Winning pitcher Destin Allen-Fox posted an all-or-nothing day. He allowed five hits (two for extra vases) over seven innings, but countered with a stellar 13-strikeout performance.

RBI: Owen Rodgers and Libed registered two RBI each. One of the runs was set-up on a perfect sacrifice bunt from ominic Crosetti.

00 Nick Pellegrino