SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - Cal Poly Pomona struck for a pair of runs in each of the first two innings and cruised past Cal State San Bernardino, 11-5, in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) baseball opener for both teams Friday night at Fiscalini Field.

With the victory in its 2022 road debut following a nine-game home stand for starters, CPP improves to 6-4 overall and 1-0 in the CCAA. Cal State San Bernardino drops to 4-7 overall and 0-1 in league play.

The Broncos wasted no time getting on the board. Back-to-back one-out singles to center preceded a Jacob Lopez walk as the designated hitter took a 3-2 pitch outside the zone. Senior rightfielder Cesar Lopez, who had missed the last six games, then pulled the first pitch he saw in some time through the right side to plate Ryon Knowles and Ricky Nuñez.

The home side got one of those runs right back via two-out rally in its initial turn at the plate, with Jake Borst doubling and coming around on Daryl Ruiz's single to left center.

CSUSB starter Raul Salazar appeared to be easing through the second with two fly-ball outs, but then Knowles and Nuñez combined to hurt the junior right-hander again. Knowles singled to left center, and Nuñez followed by blasting his first home run in the green and gold to straightaway center to make it a 4-1 game.

It looked like Bronco right-hander Will Rudy might get out of some trouble in the third as with two Yotes on, he fooled Borst on a called third strike for the second out, but back-to-back RBI singles pulled the home side within just a run at 4-3. With the bags later full, Rudy maintained that edge by getting Derek Bogh swinging.

Successive walks began the fourth for the visitors, ahead of a first-pitch bunt single by Knowles to load the bases. A right-sided RBI groundout by Nuñez plated Luke Watson. Jacob Lopez then looped a two-run single into center that forced CSUSB into a pitching change, and ultimately came around through a wild pitch and a passed ball.

The home fourth started with an infield single, and Deshawn Johnson roped a two-out, two-run home run just to the right of center field on a 3-2 pitch and made it an 8-5 game. It was the junior second baseman's second long ball of 2022.

Johnson gave one of those runs right back by being unable to handle a high pop-up by Johnny Pappas that would have ended the fifth inning, allowing instead Nick Lugo to score from second for 9-5.

CPP tacked on two more insurance tallies in the ninth after Lugo and Watson walked to start things off. Both Broncos scored on a third and final CSUSB error as Pappas' grounder went through the third baseman and into the left field corner.

Rudy (2-0) went 6.0 innings and allowed five runs, just one of them earned, on eight hits and one walk. He struck out a career-high 10, including three in both the third and the fifth. The third-year freshman followed the Nuñez bomb with an easy 1-2-3 shutdown frame in the home second. Rudy posted another perfect inning in the sixth before exiting, getting Brandon Galindo swinging for his final batter to give him his 10 punch-outs.

Matt Orozco retired all six batters he faced in relief, needing 20 pitches and fanning two over his season-long 2.0 innings. Connor Tousignant made 13 tosses to get a strikeout looking, strikeout swinging and groundout to third baseman Tyler Chaffee in a clean ninth. The Bronco mound trio combined to set down the last 14 Yotes in a row.

Nuñez finished 3-for-5 with the home run, a hit-by-pitch, and season highs of two runs and three RBI. Knowles was 3-for-5 with a walk and three runs scored. Jacob Lopez went 2-for-4 with two walks, a run and two RBI. Cesar Lopez was 1-for-4 with two walks and two RBI. CPP loaded the bases in five of Friday's nine innings.

For CSUSB, Salazar (1-2) gave up eight runs, all but one of them earned, on eight hits and four walks over 3.1 frames in his third start of the year. The Fresno State transfer fanned four, the first three coming around the two runs in his initial inning. Johnson and Ruiz each went 2-for-4 with two RBI, with Johnson scoring twice.

These two teams continue their weekend series with a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 26. First pitch at Fiscalini Field is set for 12 p.m., with the nightcap scheduled for seven innings following about a 40-minute break between games.

All CCAA baseball contests throughout this 2022 season are streaming live online via the CCAA Network at www.ccaanetwork.com. Fans may also download the CCAA Network app on your iOS or Android smartphone, tablet, or through web streaming devices such as Amazon Fire, Roku or Apple TV. The CCAA Network has moved to a subscription-based model at just $9.95 per month. Subscribers have access to all CCAA broadcasts, both live and on-demand.

Bronco Bits: Cal Poly Pomona is 326-204 (.615) overall and 227-148 (.605) in CCAA play under 12th-year head coach Randy Betten ... The Broncos are 8-3 in CCAA openers with Betten in charge ... Will Rudy made his fifth collegiate appearance and second start on the mound ... Rudy's two-out, four-pitch walk in the third was his first on the year after 8.2 innings of work ... Rudy matched the longest outing of his college career, and became the third different Bronco already in 2022 to achieve double-figure strikeouts in one game, joining Noel Soto (11) and Rhys Stevens (10) ... Cesar Lopez returned to action as the starter in right field after beginning the first three games in center and missing the last six ... The second-inning home run by Ricky Nuñez was just the second by CPP through 10 contests, and first outside of Scolinos Field ... Nuñez is the first Bronco this year to have a double, triple and home run, now with one of each ... Tyler Chaffee's third-inning steal was his second in two tries this season, before getting caught for the first time to end the fourth ... A season-high 12 more walks for the Broncos give them a CCAA-best 76 on the year ... CPP leads, 81-69, in this series that goes back to 1992 ... The Broncos have been in command of late, having now won three straight meetings and 21 of the last 26 ... CPP is 29-14 against CSUSB under Betten (13-8 in San Bernardino) ... CPP is the CCAA coaches' preseason favorite, garnering six of the 11 first-place votes, while CSUSB is picked 10th ... The Broncos were receiving votes outside of the top 40 in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper preseason poll, released on Dec. 21.