West Region Games:
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Box Scores: 6-5 Win Against UCSD / 5-4 Win Against SSU
LA JOLLA, Calif. - After escaping a bases loaded no-out jam in the top of the ninth inning, the Cal Poly Pomona baseball team rallied for a walk-off win over Sonoma State in the bottom of the same inning when
Allen Rodarte scored on a wild pitch.
Rodarte, pressed into starting duty recently because of an injury to
Mike Santora, reached base in all four of his plate appearances Saturday night. The junior second baseman lined a single into right field to start CPP's ninth-inning rally.
"We really came together at the end," Rodarte said. "We worked too hard for us to let it end tonight."
Jordan Whitman followed with a single and then a balk from SSU reliever Ian Ocon moved the runners to second and third. Ocon's wild pitch bounced to the backstop, allowing Rodarte to cross home while his teammates waited to pounce on him in celebration.
Erick Ruvalcaba earned the win for the Broncos, working out of that bases loaded no-out situation in the top of the ninth with two groundouts and a fly out to keep the score at 4-4. The sophomore right-hander recorded a save against UC San Diego earlier in the day and followed that with a victory just a few hours later.
The CPP squad captured the first lead of the game against SSU, as
Travis Taijeron launched a first-inning homerun over the centerfield fence. It marked homerun No. 16 of the season, tying the single-season record that he set in 2010, and homerun No. 32 of his career. That stands one shy of matching the Broncos' all-time record of 33.
CPP added three more scores in the third, thanks in part to key singles from
Jenzen Torres and Taijeron. Just as the Broncos dominated the opening three innings against Seawolves' starter Joey Van Cleave, the Seawolves got going in the middle innings.
SSU rallied for four runs between the fifth and sixth innings, tying the game at 4-4. After CPP right-handed starter
Casey Yokubaitis finished with five strong frames, scattering six hits and allowing just two earned runs, senior reliever
Michael Parker carried the Broncos into the final stages with three scoreless innings.
Although Parker worked into a ninth-inning jam, Ruvalcaba saved the day. Despite hitting SSU rightfielder Cameron Cook to load the bases, Ruvalcaba induced a groundout to shortstop
Ryan Goodman, who fired home to get Ryan Morales for the first out.
The reliever then got a groundout from O'Koyea Dickson to third baseman
Humberto Tovalin. Going home once again, Tovalin's toss in the dirt was dug out by Torres to barely beat Steven Filippi racing in. To finally squash the SSU rally, Ruvalcaba got Alex Todd to fly out to leftfielder
Stephen Gonzalez.
The thrilling victory sets up a 12 p.m. Sunday showdown between the Broncos and Seawolves, with the winner advancing to the NCAA Division II College World Series in Cary, N.C.
Game 1: CPP 6, UCSD 5
The eighth 2011 meeting between Cal Poly Pomona and UCSD proved to be the most exciting. The result kept the Broncos' season alive, while ending the Tritons' campaign.
CPP held off the Tritons for a 6-5 win Saturday afternoon, as sophomore
Erick Ruvalcaba came on in relief to earn the save against the dangerous UCSD lineup.
The result pushes the Broncos into a 6 p.m. showdown against Sonoma State. As one of two West Region teams remaining the NCAA Division II postseason picture, CPP will need to top the Seawolves twice to capture the regional title.
Chris Miller and
Tyson Edwards finished with multi-hit efforts against UCSD, while
Jordan Whitman and
Ryan Goodman contributed key doubles in the fourth inning to put the Broncos up 4-1. Although the Tritons ended up evening the score at 5-5 in the top of the eighth, Edwards recorded a sacrifice fly that scored
Jenzen Torres for the deciding run for CPP.
Senior reliever
Michael Parker, earning the win to improve to 3-2, went 1.2 innings while allowing one run and striking out two.
To access live audio, video and stats for the game against the Seawolves of SSU, click on the links at the top of this article.
2011 NCAA Division II West Region Tournament Schedule
Thursday, May 19
1 p.m. – Game #1 – No. 3 Cal Poly Pomona defeats No. 2 Western Oregon, 10-4
6 pm – Game #2 – No. 4 Sonoma State defeats No. 1 UC San Diego, 4-0
Friday, May 20
1 p.m. – Game #3 - UC San Diego defeats Western Oregon, 6-3 (Western Oregon eliminated)
6 p.m. – Game #4 – Sonoma State defeats Cal Poly Pomona, 10-2
Saturday, May 21
1 p.m. – Game #5 – Cal Poly Pomona defeats UC San Diego, 6-5 (loser eliminated)
6 p.m. – Game #6 – Cal Poly Pomona defeats Sonoma State, 5-4
Sunday, May 22
12 p.m. – Game #7 - Cal Poly Pomona vs. Sonoma State
