CARSON, Calif. – The 16th-ranked Cal Poly Pomona baseball team wrapped up the four-game series against Cal State Dominguez Hills in dominating fashion, sweeping the host Toros on Sunday by scores of 7-0 and 17-3 at Toro Field in Carson.
The Broncos (6-4 overall) open the 2019 CCAA slate with a perfect 4-0 record. The Toros fall to 1-4 (0-4 CCAA).
In the four-game series, the Broncos outscored the Toros 38-9, including shutouts on the front end of both doubleheaders, and CPP outhit CSUDH 49-30.
In the opener on Sunday,
Austin Isenhart delivered seven innings of shutout ball, allowing just five hits and one walk while striking out five. He combined on the shutout with
Chris Burnette and
Cade Kirkemo, as both tossed one inning each.
Meanwhile, the Broncos offense continued where they left off on Saturday, putting three runs up on the board before the Toros could even come to bat. CPP loaded the bases with the first three batters of the game before
Brennan McKenzie doubled home
Nick Peifer and
Nic Hernandez for the first two runs of the day.
Ryon Knowles later came home to score on a groundout by
Cesar Lopez for the early 3-0 lead.
In the top of the third,
Drew Cowley brought home two more runs with a single to center field scoring McKenzie and Knowles for the 5-0 advantage. Knowles then provided the final two CPP runs with a RBI single in the fourth and a RBI double in the seventh. He ended the contest going 3 for 4, alongside McKenzie, who also posted a 3 for 4 effort with his two RBI.
Pierson Loska went 2 for 3 for the Toros in the first game, accounting for two of CSUDH's seven hits.
In the seven-inning series finale, Cal Poly Pomona again jumped all over the Toros early, getting RBI's from
Jeremy Conant,
Patrick Vizcaino and
Logan Gopperton on consecutive at bats to jump out in front, 3-0, in inning number two. The bats exploded for two more runs in the third, thanks to a leadoff solo home run by Knowles, then a run-scoring single by Vizcaino for the 5-0 lead, chasing Toro starter Jesse Galindo from the ballgame.
The Toros finally got a run across the plate in the bottom of the third, but then the Broncos responded in their next at bat with a McKenzie RBI double to make it 6-1 in favor of CPP.
Cowley came up big again in the sixth with a two-run double to the right center field gap, increasing the Broncos lead to 8-1.
CSUDH put up two runs in the bottom of the sixth, but CPP then exploded for nine runs on nine hits, sending 12 batters to the plate to go up by what would eventually be the final score of 17-3.
Gopperton finished the contest going 4 for 5 at the plate with a triple and three RBI. McKenzie went 4 for 4 with a pair of RBI and Knowles went 3 for 4 with a home run, two RBI and four runs scored.
Dylan Francis (1-1) went the distance on the mound for the Broncos, allowing seven hits, three runs (two earned) while striking out six.
Cal Poly Pomona will return home for a pair of single games Thursday and Friday against UC San Diego. Both games are set to start at 6:00 pm at Scolinos Field.
