HAYWARD, Calif. – A five-run ninth and stellar pitching led the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos to a series-opening victory over the Cal State East Bay Pioneers on their home field in Hayward.
The Broncos improve to a 17-9 mark on the season, complete with a 9-6 mark against opponents in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). The hometown Pioneers fell to a 5-6 showing against conference opponents en route to their 14-8 showing on the season.
Starting on the mound for CPP and earning the win was senior lefty and team captain,
Max Bethell. The Garden Grove native neared a complete game as he threw for 8.1 innings while allowing just five hits and two walks. He also racked up three strikeouts and just a single extra base hit.
The win for Bethell improves him to an ever 3-3 mark on the season, and with it, he now carries a 2.38 earned run average. After Bethell's suberb start, the Broncos turned the ball over to
Ryan Alsworth to secure the final two outs. One of the sophomore's two batters faced was a strikeout and the other was a flyout.
In the contest, CPP tallied nine hits, yet all five of their runs came in the nick of time in the ninth inning. In the ninth, with the bases loaded, catcher
Cody Martin singled up the middle to score
Nic Hernandez from third.
After Martin broke open the scoring,
Jacob Bernardy doubled down the left field line to clear the bases and give the Green and Gold a 4-0 lead. Scoring on the knock were
Ryan Webberley,
Daniel Pitts, and Martin.
The final score in the ballgame came at the hands of
Chris Stratton, the junior doubled to left field to score Bernardy and give the contest its final 5-0 score and the Broncos the win.
Both sides had stellar pitching performances as the Pioneer's starter, Alex Vesia, matched Bethell with 8.1 innings and just five hits allowed. He struck out four Broncos, but due to the go-ahead run reaching base in the ninth off of him, he is credited with the loss.
CPP and the Pioneers will return to action on Saturday with two nine inning games to close out the series, the first pitch is scheduled for 11 am.
