RIVERSIDE, Calif. – With just a single out remaining in the bottom of the ninth, the No. 26 Cal Poly Pomona Broncos had the bases loaded and
Daniel Pitts at bat. His single to right knocked in the tying run and sent the game to extra innings. In the tenth, the Broncos topped the No. 1 seeded and No. 8 nationally-ranked Cal Baptist Lancers 6-5 as a hit batsman brought home the winning run in rare walk-off hit-by-pitch fashion.
The victory for the Green and Gold advances the squad to its second-consecutive NCAA West Region title game. With CBU defeating Dixie State on Saturday night, the Broncos will challenge the host Lancers once again on Monday at 2 p.m. CPP needs just one more victory to advance to the D-II World Series in Cary, N.C., for the second-consecutive season. CBU will need two wins to capture the regional crown.
Starting on the mound for the Broncos in Saturday's contest and dealing for 6.1 innings was
Peter Bayer. The senior struck out six and allowed nine hits with five runs scored, four of which were earned. After Bayer exited with the Broncos at a 5-4 disadvantage in the seventh,
Ryan Alsworth took the mound.
Alsworth secured the win in the contest after closing it out with 3.2 innings pitched. He tallied four strikeouts and allowed just one walk, the only Lancer to reach in his showing. The win was his sixth of the season.
The scoring for both teams kicked off relatively early as the Broncos tallied one in the first. A single from
Caleb Romo to right field scored
Chris Stratton from first. Stratton moved to third on the hit, and then a fielding error by the Lancers' right fielder scored him.
In the second and third, CBU, the tournament's host school, recorded a run. Inning two came with the first run for the Lancers' squad. An error at third base from
Jason Padlo allowed for a run to cross and tie things up. A single in the following inning also brought a CBU runner home for the 2-1 lead.
Inning five showed the power that the Lancers' offense has been displaying all tournament with a two-run shot over the left field fence to give CBU a three-run advantage.
To pull the Green and Gold right back into the contest, the fifth inning featured
Caleb Romo sending his ninth homerun over the left field fence to tie it up. On base for CPP at the time were
Jared James and Stratton, who had reached via double and walk.
In the seventh, a lone run was scored for the Lancers as their designated hitter pulled the team's tenth homerun of the tournament over the right field fence.
Trailing 5-4 heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Broncos came in clutch. Padlo scored on a single to right from
Daniel Pitts to tie up the game at 5-5. Pitts' hit also advanced Webberley and
Michael Erb on the bases.
The Broncos won in inning No. 10 in a somewhat strange fashion. James and Stratton singled to right, then Padlo received intentionally walked, and the final play of the game came as
Michael Erb got hit-by-a-pitch to bring James home. Final score in the contest was 6-5.
CPP advances to the championship game of the tournament with a 3-0 record thus far at the regional.
Tournament Schedule
| THURSDAY, MAY 19 |
| Game # |
Teams |
Time |
| 1 |
No. 2 Dixie State (3) vs. No. 5 Cal State Monterey Bay (6) |
11:00 a.m. |
| 2 |
No. 1 CBU Lancers (14) vs. No. 6 Cal State East Bay (0) |
3:00 p.m. |
| 3 |
No. 3 Cal Poly Pomona (11) vs. No. 4 Chico State (1) |
7:00 p.m. |
| FRIDAY, MAY 20 |
| Game # |
Teams |
Time |
| 4 |
Cal State East Bay (3) vs. Dixie State (6) (elimination game) |
11:00 a.m. |
| 5 |
CBU Lancers (12) vs. Chico State (3) (possible elimination game) |
3:00 p.m. |
| 6 |
Cal State Monterey Bay (2) vs. Cal Poly Pomona (14) |
7:00 p.m. |
| SATURDAY, MAY 21 |
| Game # |
Teams |
Time |
| 7 |
CBU Lancers (5) vs. Cal Poly Pomona (6) |
11:00 a.m. |
| 8 |
Cal State Monterey Bay (4) vs. Dixie State (7) |
3:00 p.m. |
| 9 |
CBU Lancers (8) vs. Dixie State (6) |
7:00 p.m. |
| MONDAY, MAY 23 |
| Game # |
Teams |
Time |
| 10 |
Cal Poly Pomona vs. Cal Baptist |
2:00 p.m. |
| 11 |
Cal Poly Pomona vs. Winner Game 9 (if necessary) |
6:00 p.m. |
