SAN MARCOS --- Behind seven shutout innings from starting pitcher Sam Jew and a six-run third-inning outburst, the Palomar College baseball team rolled to a 9-2 victory over Southwestern College at Meyers Field on Saturday afternoon.

Both teams entered the game with 8-3 records in Pacific Coast Conference play. Palomar, Southern California's fourth-ranked team in the coaches poll, has taken the first two of five games this season against Southwestern, ranked first. The Comets are 20-7-1 overall.

"Every time we play these guys it's a battle," said Palomar coach Buck Taylor. "I'm proud of these guys. It's the best game we've played all year."

Taylor pointed to the Comets' execution in all three phases against Southwestern, the defending conference champion and state runner-up in 2008.

The key to the Comets' success this year has been its pitching. Jew, Saturday's starter, improved to 5-0 with a 0.70 ERA in 38 1/3 innings pitched.

It wasn't easy, though.

The right-hander worked with runners on base in all but one of his seven innings and said he had trouble locating his fastball. But he kept Southwestern hitters off balance with breaking pitchers -- mostly curveballs and sliders and an occasional changeup -- and stranded nine Southwestern runners, including two each in the second, third and fourth innings.

A sophomore from Perth, Australia, who had never been to the United States before attending Palomar, Jew said improved mechanics have helped him become a better pitcher this year, including Saturday against Southwestern (19-5-1).

"I battled my (butt) off today," Jew said. "I would've liked to have more 1-2-3 innings and keep my pitch count down, but that's the way it was. They're a good team."

The Palomar lineup did its job, too. Especially in the third inning, when the Comets took bloop-and-a-blast to a new frontier.

Those in attendance likely saw something they've never seen at a baseball game before, when Palomar didn't settle for sacrifices and pulled off four straight bunt singles. After a fielder's choice made it 2-0, first baseman Alfonso Casillas struck the big blow when he took advantage of the wind blowing out to right-center field for a three-run, opposite-field home run. Left-handed hitting Brenden Webb followed with a soaring drive to right for back-to-back homers and a 6-0 lead.

Webb also led the Comets' defense, which had no errors. The freshman center fielder from Mt. Carmel High saved a run in the second inning when he chased down a double in the right-center gap -- collecting the ball on Palomar's patented outfield hill -- then flipped it to right fielder Matt Carvutto, whose relay stopped Southwestern's lead runner at third. Webb also laid out for a nice catch to end the fifth.

The Comets' pitching staff, which saw its team ERA rise over 2.00 in a 13-3 loss to Mesa on Tuesday, now has a collective mark of 2.26.