CHICO, Calif. – In a battle of two nationally-ranked baseball teams, Cal Poly Pomona used strong starting pitching to take each game down to the wire in Saturday's doubleheader at Chico State.
The Wildcats proved clutch in the late innings though, capturing two victories over the Broncos to take a 2-0 series lead. The two squads will conclude the weekend's action with a Sunday doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.
The scenario of CPP trying to clinch a playoff spot remains the same. At 22-12 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), the Broncos need just one win - or a Cal State East Bay loss - to secure a berth into the conference's postseason tournament. The Pioneers of CSUEB swept a home doubleheader against Cal State L.A. Saturday.
Within the latest national rankings, Chico held the No. 6 spot at the Division II level while CPP is at No. 11. In the NCAA regional poll released earlier this week, the Wildcats were featured at No. 2 and the Broncos followed at No. 3.
Game 1 Box Score | Wildcats 3, Broncos 2 Game one featured wild swings of momentum but ultimately it was Chico pulling off a walk-off win in the bottom of the ninth.
The first contest of the series included a pitching matchup of CPP junior
Steven Farnworth against Wildcats' senior Nick Baker. The two righthanders didn't disappoint, combining for 17 innings while allowing two runs each.
Chico struck first for a unearned score in the second. Peter Miller drove in that run to put the Wildcats ahead 1-0. The Broncos bounced back to tie the game in the top of the third, when
Christian Kelley scored on an RBI single by
David Armendariz.
First baseman Eric Angerer provided a go-ahead RBI for Chico in the bottom of the fifth, handing the Wildcats a 2-1 lead they'd carry into the ninth inning. CPP got back-to-back doubles in the top of the ninth from
Nick Cooksey and
Steven Andrade but after those hits tied the score 2-2, Chico countered with a pinch-hit walk-off single from Jeffrey Ortega to take the 3-2 victory.
Game 2 Box Score | Wildcats 4, Broncos 2The Broncos' offense continued to show resiliency in the second game, erasing a 2-1 deficit in the top of the sixth with a sacrifice fly from Cooksey. He actually ended up with CPP's two RBI in the game.
The Wildcats put together the decisive rally in the bottom of the seventh though, recording two runs to take a 4-2 lead. Chico got a boost from reliever Robert Hook, who tossed three perfect innings and earned his fifth win of the season. In the ninth, closer Luke Barker held the Broncos scoreless to collect his 12th save of 2014.
