SAN MARCOS Hancock Colleges baseball team has played itself into the Southern California Super Regional.

And the Bulldogs knocked off a solid favorite to get there.

Palomar College had not lost since March 15, but the 13th-seeded Bulldogs beat the fourth-ranked Comets twice Saturday, 3-2 and 8-2, at Palomar in a best-of-three Southern California Regional Tournament match-up.

The Comets beat the Bulldogs 10-2 in the series opener Friday. Cabrillo graduate Henry Fienga (3-0), earned the win in both games Saturday, getting the last out in the top of the ninth in the first game and pitching five innings of scoreless, hitless, relief in the second.

Palomar had a 16-game winning streak before Saturday. The Comets (28-11) were ranked 19th in the nation in the latest Perfect Game USA poll.

Hancock (24-14-1) will play at Costa Mesa-based Orange Coast College (29-9) in a best-of-three Super Regional, the last stop before the state tournament. The first game is set for 2 p.m. this Friday. Game two of the series is at 1 p.m. this Saturday. Coach Chris Stevens squad is in the Super Regional for the first time since 2010.

The Bulldogs were the designated home team in the first game Saturday, and they scored twice in the first inning. Ryan Bendele singled home an unearned run, and Cameron Ketchen singled in another run.

The Comets tied the score at 2-2 in the top of the ninth on Anthony Balderas sacrifice fly against Hancock starter Ryan Bower, but Jacob Witkowski singled in Zach Nyman for an unearned run against Comets closer Gary Cornish (1-2) for the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.

Bower gave the Bulldogs eight strong innings, giving up four hits, before Zach Skipper relieved him in the ninth. Fienga eventually got the third out.

Hancock, as the visiting team, broke to a 6-0 lead in the second game against Comets starter Emilio Esquibel (7-2) , scoring twice in the first inning and taking advantage of two Palomar errors for four runs in the third.

Read more from the original source:

Bulldogs knock off fourth-ranked Comets