LOS ANGELES -- Ryon Knowles went 5 for 10 with three doubles, a home run, five RBI and four runs scored to lead the offense in both games, and Drew Atherton and Rhys Stevens each tossed six innings in earning victories on the mound as the Cal Poly Pomona baseball team completed the four-game series sweep of Cal State LA with victories of 18-5 and 6-1 on Sunday at Reeder Field in Los Angeles.

The Broncos have won six straight games, rising to 8-4 overall and 6-2 in the CCAA.  The Golden Eagles fall to 4-8 (3-5 CCAA).

In Sunday's doubleheader, CPP pounded out 27 hits, 11 of which were extra base hits; Knowles had four of those extra base hits.  Dante Palacio went 5 for 8 with a triple and four runs scored in the twinbill, and Brennan McKenzie blasted a grand slam in game one, finishing the day with two hits and five RBI.

The Broncos jumped right out of the gates in game one with a double to right center from Knowles. Nick Peifer then dropped a sacrifice bunt that moved Knowles to second which allowed Cesar Lopez to knock him in with a double to right center. That was the only run the Broncos were able to score that inning before taking the field up 1-0. Atherton took the mound for the Broncos but gave up a single and a walk before giving up a homerun to give LA the lead 3-1. Atherton was able to keep that to the only damage allowed in the first inning. Atherton had much better luck in the second only giving up one hit before getting out of the inning.

The top of the third started with Lopez reaching base due to a fielding error by the second baseman. McKenzie then swapped places on first after a fielder's choice getting Lopez out at second. Drew Cowley then doubled to left center bringing McKenzie home and advanced to third on the throw. Bryce Wooldridge mimicked Cowley by doubling to right center and bringing him home tying the game up at 3-3. Palacio singled to right field to move Wooldridge to third followed by a Shane Gipson single to the third baseman that scored Wooldridge. Knowles then crushed a homerun to right field bringing everyone home and making the Bronco lead 7-3 after three innings.

Atherton threw two more scoreless innings to get the Broncos to the fifth inning still up four. Matt Manskar singled to start off the top of the fifth inning followed by a Gipson walk after a pitching change. Knowles then doubled to left to knock in both runners and Lopez walked and Knowles and Lopez were both brought home by an error by the first baseman on a ball put in play by Cowley making the Bronco lead 11-3. Atherton threw a three up, three down inning keeping the lead the same as it was. The top of the sixth inning was kicked off by a Palacio single to right field followed by a Manksar single and a Gipson walk. Palacio scored when Knowles hit into a double play. Peifer then doubled to knock in Manskar and scored on a single from Lopez making the score 14-3.

Atherton went back out for the sixth and threw yet another scoreless inning to complete his day. Will Rudy was the pitcher to follow Atherton and sat down the only three batters he saw. Gipson then walked to start off the eighth inning followed by a Knowles single and a Lopez walk. McKenzie then crushed a grand slam to right center making the game 18-3.
 
Andre Henson then took over for Rudy for the bottom of the eighth inning and gave up a single to the first two batters he faced but then struck out the next three. Cade Kirkemo came in to pitch in the bottom of the ninth and gave up two runs but was able to limit it to only those two for a final score of 18-5. 

Stevens was the starter for the second game and started off the game throwing two scoreless innings to take the Broncos into the top of the third in a scoreless tie. Gipson singled to left field followed up by a Peifer hit by pitch. McKenzie reached on an error that scored Peifer and Gipson and was later brought in by a Cowley single to center field to make the game 3-0.

Stevens then gave up a double to right field that later came into score after a sacrifice bunt and ground out making the game 3-1. Palacio kicked off the top of the fourth inning with a triple down the right field line. Knowles was able to bring him home with a two-out double to left field to extend the Bronco lead to 4-1. 

Stevens threw two more shutout innings with two strikeouts and only two hits in those innings. Palacio singled through the right side to start off the top of the sixth inning followed by a Manksar single to center field. Gipson then singled through the left side bringing Palacio home and advancing Manskar to second. Knowles then grounded into a fielder's choice moving Manksar to third allowing him to score on a wild pitch a couple of pitches later making the score 6-1 Broncos. Connor Tousignant took over for Stevens in the 7th and final inning where he only saw three hitters getting out all three of them and securing the Bronco sweep with a final score of 6-1.

Of note, Knowles has extended his reached-base streak to all 12 games this season, and is now riding a 10-game hit streak.

Cal Poly Pomona will step out of conference play Wednesday in hosting Point Loma at 6:00 pm before heading to Cal State San Bernardino on Friday.