POMONA, Calif. – The 18th-ranked Cal Poly Pomona baseball team split a Saturday doubleheader with Cal State East Bay at Scolinos Field.

The Broncos' offense collected 14 hits in the first game, led by a 3-for-4 effort from Mike Philp. That performance helped CPP secure a 9-2 victory and even the series 1-1. The Pioneers bounced back though and got a six-inning gem from lefthander Alex Vesia to get a 3-1 result in the second game to retake the series lead 2-1.

The Broncos now hold an overall 26-11 record on the season, with a 18-9 mark in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). CSUEB heads into Sunday with a conference 7-20 tally, and  an overall 10-24 record. 
 
The two teams will conclude their series on Sunday with first pitch set for 11 a.m.
 
Game 1: Broncos 9, Pioneers 2
Although CPP held a slim 2-1 lead into the later stages of game one, the Broncos' offense powered its way to six runs in the sixth inning to put the game out of reach.
 
Nicholas Bruno knocked in the team's first run in the second frame, lining a double to the gap to score Ryan Webberley with two outs. The Broncos pushed their lead to 2-0 with another two-out RBI in the fourth, when Philp drove in Webberley.
 
Nick Cooksey initiated the big rally in the sixth while Matt Munoz followed with a one-out RBI single. Five of the Broncos' runs in the inning came with two outs, including a Philp single to score Munoz. Christian Kelley and Kyle Garlick delivered the even bigger hits in the inning, driving in two runs apiece to extend the CPP advantage to 8-1.
 
Max Bethell delivered a strong start for the home squad, tossing 6.1 innings while allowing just two runs and striking out four. Michael Koval wrapped up the game with 2.2 scoreless frames and notched five strikeouts of his own.
 
Game 2: Pioneers 3, Broncos 1
The CPP offense sputtered in the second contest of the day as it was held scoreless for the first five innings of the game. Munoz tallied another two hits but he proved to be the only Bronco with a multi-hit effort in the contest. The Pioneers' starter, Vesia, finished with six innings and gave up just one run.
 
Cal State East Bay manufactured three runs in the third inning against Broncos' starting pitcher Cody Ponce. In 100 pitches for the outing, Ponce went six innings and totaled eight strikeouts.
 
CPP recorded its only run of the game in the bottom of the sixth, when Michael Zidek drove in Garlick. That proved to be the final score of the day as Julian Garcia pitched a scoreless seventh frame to earn his second save of the year.