POMONA -- Trailing by a run going into the bottom of the ninth inning, the Cal Poly Pomona baseball team rallied for two runs and a walk off victory, capped off by a wild pitch that allowed Ryon Knowles to score from third base in a 2-1 thriller over Cal State LA in the opening game of a four-game series Friday night at Scolinos Field in Pomona.

The Broncos rise to 5-4 overall and 3-2 in the CCAA while the Golden Eagles fell to 4-5 (3-2 CCAA).

Friday night was all about the pitchers for both squads as both CPP's Gavin Velasquez and CSULA's Saxon Andross combined to allow just one run on 11 hits, striking out 19 in 13 innings.  Andross tossed the first six for the Golden Eagles and kept the Broncos off the scoreboard, while Velasquez struck out 10 in his seven innings of work, only allowing the one CSULA run in the sixth.

Down 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth, the Broncos loaded the bases with one out, but Andross worked himself out of the jam to leave the bases loaded.  The Broncos also loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth, but CSULA reliever Fino Amador got himself out of trouble, getting Christian Moya and pinch-hitter Derek Marshall Jr. to strikeout and end the threat.

Meanwhile, between Chris Burnette and Troy Bethell, they didn't allow a base runner, retiring the side in order in both the eighth and the ninth.

Third time's a charm.  After leaving the bases loaded in the sixth and eighth innings, CPP again loaded the bases with one out, and Cesar Lopez grounded out to second base, allowing Matt Manskar to plate the tying run.

A couple pitches later, during Brennan McKenzie's at bat, LA pitcher Micah Hee threw a ball in the dirt that got away from Noe Garcia, opening the door for Knowles to score the winning run.
 

Because we like to do things out of order late on a Friday night, here's how @BaseballCPP ties the game up in the bottom of the ninth after trailing 1-0 since the sixth inning. pic.twitter.com/Jf2Fn0V8A5

— CPP Broncos Athletics (@cppbroncos) February 22, 2020

Bethell (1-0) got the victory on the mound after just two-thirds of an inning.  The Broncos got nine hits off of the Golden Eagles Friday, with two off the bat of Knowles, Nick Peifer and Drew Cowley.  On the other side, CSULA managed just five hits.

Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State LA will play Saturday at 3:00 pm at Scolinos Field in Pomona (weather permitting) before wrapping up the series Sunday with a doubleheader in Los Angeles.