POMONA, Calif. – In the series opener between the No. 28 Cal Poly Pomona Broncos and the No. 19 Cal State Monterey Bay Otters, the hometown CPP squad came out on top. The Green and Gold secured wins in both games of the doubleheader.
 
The first contest at Scolinos Field featured a pitching matchup of Michael Koval for the Broncos and Gabe Katich of the Otters. Koval came away with the win, dealing seven innings of one-run baseball. He allowed just five hits and struck out seven.
 
Game number two featured the duel of Broncos' co-captain Max Bethell and Ryan Boydstun of the CSUMB squad. Bethell neared a complete game as his performance totaled 8.1 innings and he allowed just two runs on five hits while striking out five Otters. Taking the mound to close out the game and earn the save was Wyatt Shackleford, the save was his second of the season.
 
Game One: CPP 12 – CSUMB 2
 
The CPP offense tallied 16 hits in the game. Leading the way with a 3-for-4 showing was Daniel Pitts. Racking up two hits of their own were Jared James, Jason Padlo, Ryan Webberley, and Cody Martin.
 
Playing the role of visitor to Scolinos Field, the Otters scored early, getting a scoring single in the first that put them on the board and with a quick 1-0 lead.
 
CPP remained blanked until the bottom of the fourth inning until a groove was found and the Broncos sank into it. Martin reached on an error by the Otters' third baseman that scored both Pitts and Nic Hernandez. James backed that up with a single to score Martin and Webberley.
 
With the score at 4-1, CPP wasn't done. Nicholas Bruno doubled down the right field line to score Jacob Bernardy, then Padlo singled up the middle to bring home both Bruno and James. After that scorer's delight of an inning, CPP led the visitors 7-1.
 
The following inning, CPP scored yet again as James reached safely on a fielder's choice that scored Webberley.
 
In the seventh and eighth, CPP posted four more runs. In inning No. 7 Bernardy singled through the left side to score Pitts. Inning eight saw Webberley tally a sacrifice fly as his shot scored Thomas Berutto. The freshman Berutto reached base via his first collegiate hit with a single to center. Martin then singled up the middle to score Michael Erb, and finally James sent a sac fly to left to score Michael Zidek who had reached base via walk earlier in the inning.
 
CSUMB did post another run in the top of the ninth, but it was too little too late as the CPP team secured the 12-2 victory.
 
Game Two: CPP 3 – CSUMB 2
 
Game two of the twin bill was certainly less eventful as a whole, but the Bronco bats remained hot as nine hits were recorded.
 
Yet again the Otters opened scoring as a homerun from their leadoff batter Will Rosado to left center gave them a 2-0 advantage over the Broncos in the top of the third inning. Not to be outdone, CPP answered back nearly immediately as Bruno singled to left to score James in the bottom of the inning.
 
In the sixth inning, a pinch hit single through the left side for Frankie Nogales scored Webberley and tied the ball game at two apiece.
 
With Nic Hernandez at the bat, CPP produced the go-ahead run and held on for the win. Hernandez sent a long double just out of reach for the Otter's outfielders and scored James to give the Green and Gold the 3-2 lead.
 
The one-two combo from Bethell and Shackleford kept the Otters scoreless through the final innings and the Broncos locked down the win.
 
Looking Ahead
 
The Broncos and Otters will return to Scolinos Field for the series finale at 12 p.m. CPP now holds a 21-9 record on the season, complete with a 13-6 showing in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). The Otters fall to a conference record of 10-7 en route to a season tally of 21-8.
 
The Broncos have a hold on first place in the CCAA South region, tallying two more wins and three fewer losses than the UCSD Tritons who currently sit in second.