POMONA -- After a 4-2 victory in game one on Sunday, the Cal Poly Pomona baseball team rallied for a 6-5 walkoff victory in 11 innings in game two to sweep the doubleheader and split the four-game series with No. 2-ranked UC San Diego at Scolinos Field in Pomona.

The Broncos move to 4-4 overall this season and open the CCAA schedule at 2-2.  The Tritons suffered their first two losses of the season Sunday, dropping to 7-2 overall (2-2 CCAA).

The Broncos started the first game of the doubleheader with a scoreless inning from Drew Atherton in the top of the first inning. It looked as if the Broncos were to start the same way in the bottom half of the inning until Cesar Lopez kickstarted a two-out rally with a single up the middle followed by a single through the left side from Brennan McKenzie and capped off with a single through the right side from Drew Cowley to give the Broncos a 1-0 lead at the end of the first inning. 

The Tritons got two runners on from a hit-by-pitch and a single off of Atherton in the top of the third inning, but he was able to prevent them from crossing the plate and stranding them on the base paths. Ryon Knowles then lead off the inning with a walk and got to third after ground balls from Nick Peifer and Lopez. McKenzie was then able to score Knowles with a single to right center. 

The Broncos couldn't keep the Tritons contained forever as they were able to get four singles off of Atherton in the top of the 5th and tie the game up at 2-2 before Steven Ordorica entered the game with bases loaded and one out. Ordorica was able to get the Tritons to ground into a double play and prevent further run scoring. Ordorica threw another one and one-third innings scoreless before Connor Tousignant came in the top of the 7th inning with one out and get out of the inning scoreless despite walking the bases loaded. The Broncos' offense followed in the next half inning with Matt Manskar blasting a single up the middle, Shane Gipson moving him over on a groundout, and Knowles bringing him home with a single to center field to put the Broncos on top 3-2 after seven innings.

Chris Burnette started the 8th inning on the mound to hold on to the lead for the broncos and did just that with a little help from Peifer who gunned down a runner trying to take home on a sacrafice fly attempt. Lopez and Cowley singled in the bottom half of the inning along with an RBI single from Dante Palacio to extend the lead to 4-2 into the 9th inning. That is where the lead stayed as Burnette went back out for the 9th and saw three batters and set down three batters to seal the game and complete the save.

Rhys Steven started on the mound for the Broncos for the second game of the doubleheader, who, just like Atherton in game one, started off with a scoreless top of the first. Also just like the first game the Broncos had another two out rally started by Lopez followed by a McKenzie walk. Both runners advanced a base on a passed ball that allowed both to score on a Cowley single putting the Broncos ahead 2-0 after the first inning. 

This lead did not last long however as to start off the inning Stevens allowed three hits and two runs to tie the game at 2-2. Stevens then got a ground out that advanced the runner to third and then allowed a walk to a runner that the stole second base. Stevens appears to be out of the inning but a dropped infield pop up by Manskar allowed two runs to score before Stevens eventually got out of the inning giving the Tritons a 4-2 lead after the top of the second inning. 

The score remained unchanged through the rest of Stevens' five innings of work until the Broncos were able to get McKenzie on first after an error by the shortstop and two singles by Cowley and Christian Moya cutting the deficit to 4-3 Tritons. Jeremy Taylor then took the mound in the top of the sixth to throw a scoreless inning. The Broncos followed Taylor's scoreless inning by Knowles and Peifer singles and Lopez knocking in Knowles with a ground ball to second base. McKenzie then tripled to score Peifer to give the Broncos a 5-4 lead. 

Taylor went back out to the mound for the 7th inning to try and close out the game but was replaced by Mathew Orozco after giving up a lead off hit. Orozco did not have a clean outing giving up three walks to allow Taylor's runner to score while only getting one out with the game tied 5-5. Orozco was pulled for Ordorica who got another double play upon entering the game to get out of a bases loaded situation. Ordorica got two more outs to start off the eighth inning with Henson following to trying to end the inning but giving up a walk which caused Coach Randy Betten to replace him with Burnette who got the batter to pop up to get out of the inning. 

Cade Kirkemo was the next pitcher for the Broncos throwing an inning and a third scoreless before passing the baton onto Eric Romo with the game still tied 5-5 with one out in the 10th. Romo gave up a double to his first batter but got out of the inning without any more damage. Romo threw a clean inning in the 11th setting down all three batters he faced. 

The bottom of the 11th started out with a groundout from Lopez followed with a walk from McKenzie. Cowley then hit a single through the left side advancing McKenzie to third. The Tritons then intentionally walked Moya to create a force-out at every base. The Broncos then pinch hit Derek Marshall Jr. hoping he could walk it off for them, and he did exactly that, drawing a walk for the 6-5 Broncos win.

Notable performance include Cowley, who went 5-10 with 3 RBIs, McKenzie going 3-7 with a 3B and three BBs, Knowles who went 3-9 with a BB and an RBI, Burnette with 1 hit and 2 strikeouts through 2.1 scoreless innings, and Ordorica with one strikeout through 3.1 scoreless innings. 

Cal Poly Pomona returns to action Friday in hosting Cal State LA at 6:00 pm at Scolinos Field for the first game of a four-game home-and-home set with the Golden Eagles.