Box Score
STOCKTON, Calif. - The Cal Poly Pomona baseball team, making its first appearance at the conference tournament since 2005, suffered a 9-6 loss to UC San Diego Thursday in first-round action.
The Broncos trailed 7-0 through the first seven innings but rallied for four scores in the top of the eighth to make it a three-run ballgame. UCSD tacked on two runs in its next at-bat, moving the score to 9-4. CPP bounced back for two of its own in the top of the ninth, before the Tritons were able to close out the 9-6 victory.
Up next for the Broncos will be an 11 a.m. matchup against second-seeded Sonoma State, as the Seawolves dropped a 22-9 decision Thursday night to third-seeded Chico State.
After Thursday's afternoon result, CPP falls to 30-20 on the season while the Tritons improve to 39-12 overall.
The UCSD offense found its homerun rhythm early and often against Broncos' starting right-hander
Erick Ruvalcaba, as the Tritons scored seven runs in the first four innings. UCSD ended up with five homers on the afternoon, including two each from Kellen Lee and Danny Susdorf.
Ruvalcaba went three innings, giving up six earned runs while throwing 53 pitches. Lefty reliever
Shane Philipps helped limit the damage somewhat, going the next 2.2 innings while allowing one earned run. The next hurler for the Broncos,
Allen Rodarte, turned in the top pitching performance for CPP as he tossed 1.1 innings of no-hit ball.
The Broncos' offense didn't get going until UCSD starter Tim Shibuya exited the game after throwing 114 pitches. CPP tagged right-handed reliever Tony York for four runs in the eighth inning.
The rally started on a leadoff single from
Stephen Gonzalez and was extended on a double by
Mike Santora. The big blow came on a two-run homer from sophomore rightfielder
Jordan Whitman, bringing the score to 7-4.
The Broncos' momentum was stolen away in the bottom of the eighth though, as the Tritons tacked on two scores. CPP didn't back away, working a rally in the team's final turn at the plate.
Tyson Edwards opened with a leadoff walk, followed by a Gonzalez single and a two-run double by
Humberto Tovalin. UCSD reliever Justin Burns entered the contest and induced two flyouts from the final two CPP hitters, closing out the 9-6 win.
