|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
|
R |
H |
E |
|
CSU San Bernardino (12-10, 9-8 CCAA) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
2 |
9 |
2 |
|
Cal Poly Pomona (18-10, 11-10 CCAA) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
3 |
9 |
1 |
|
Pitching |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
W - Allen Rodarte (3-1)
|
1.0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
L - Tony Guerra (2-2) |
1.1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
POMONA, Calif. - Extra innings. Two outs. A runner in scoring position. Already eight pitches into the at-bat. Feel the pressure?
Chris Miller doesn't.
Earlier this month, the veteran first baseman knocked a two-run homer to lift the Cal Poly Pomona baseball team to a walk-off win over Cal State Dominguez Hills in extra innings. Miller found some similar magic Thursday at Scolinos Field with CPP going up against Cal State San Bernardino.
Joseph Eusebio and
Donald Walter helped the hosts stage a two-out rally in the bottom of the 10th inning and then Miller stepped to the plate with the two teams even at 2-2. To cap off a nine-pitch at-bat, the right-handed hitting senior lined a 3-2 pitch into left field and Eusebio used his speed to race around third and slide home safely to secure the win for the Broncos.
The Coyotes trailed 2-1 heading into the ninth inning but rallied for the equalizer to send the game into extras. Ultimately, CPP prevailed and improves to 18-10 overall while holding a 11-10 mark in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). The two squads will resume their series Friday with another 3 p.m. game at Scolinos Field.
Thursday's game featured a pitching duel between
Erick Ruvalcaba of the Broncos and Casey McCarthy of the Coyotes as both hurlers worked quickly and successfully. CSUSB got on the scoreboard first when Matt Winn collected an infield single to score Curtis Cassise in the fourth. CPP rallied to tie the score 1-1 in the bottom of te fifth with
Charles Ball lining a double into the gap to bring in teammate
Jordan Whitman.
After leaving two runners on base in the sixth, the Broncos' offense got going once again in the seventh. With two outs, senior shortstop
Mike Santora knocked a 2-2 pitch down the leftfield line as that hit allowed Ball to score easily and put CPP ahead 3-2.
With Ruvalcaba totaling eight innings while allowing just one earned run, the Broncos went with undefeated staff ace
Geoff Broussard in the ninth. The visiting Coyotes showed their own resiliency as they tallied back-to-back singles with one out before catcher Paul Eshleman delivered the game-tying two-out hit to send the contest into extras.
Senior catcher
Jenzen Torres helped stop a potentially CSUSB rally in the top of the 10th as he threw out Coyotes' first baseman Brandon Day trying to steal second with two outs. Right-handed reliever
Allen Rodarte threw that scoreless inning for CPP and ended up with the win to improve to 3-1 in 2012. The performances by Torres and Rodarte the stage for the bottom half of the inning, where Eusebio opened the rally with a single and then reached second after an error on the visitors.
Miller came through with the clutch hit and now the Broncos take a 1-0 series lead into game two Friday.
