SEASIDE, Calif. - Two home runs were the difference as Cal Poly Pomona dropped a narrow 3-2 decision to Cal State Monterey Bay in the opener of a four-game California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) baseball series Friday night at the Otter Sports Complex.

With the result, CPP fell to 8-9 overall and 3-5 in the CCAA. Cal State Monterey Bay improved to 12-6 overall and 7-2 in league play.

Each team produced an early two-run frame before the game turned into the pitchers' duel that one might expect from a Friday night series opener with aces on the mound.

Cal State Monterey Bay struck first against reigning CCAA Pitcher of the Week Will Rudy. After the third-year freshman right-hander allowed a double to Chase Lindemann to lead off the home first, he got Brady Miguel looking and Nathan Flores swinging. Jason Ajamian then lifted a 2-1 pitch out over the wall in left center.

CPP answered that rally in the second, loading the bases with no outs on a five-pitch walk by Jacob Lopez to lead off and back-to-back singles by Cesar Lopez and Nick Lugo. After Ethan McRae retired Tyler Chaffee on three strikes, Luke Watson lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score Jacob Lopez, and Cesar Lopez also came around from second to notch the tying tally thanks to rightfielder Lindemann's awry throw.

Rudy had to work for his shutdown frame in the home half, but he managed to duck around a one-out double and two-out walk to leave Otters stranded at the corners.

The Broncos moved a man to second in the fourth and had runners at first and second in the fifth through a one-out infield single and two-out hit-by-pitch, but could not add to their tally.

It was CSUMB that finally broke the 2-2 deadlock, and it was again Ajamian's bat that was responsible, as the senior first baseman pulled a 1-1 toss out to left to give him two long balls on the night and a team-leading five for the season.

CPP had one last opportunity in the ninth inning. Lugo singled through the right side to lead things off and true freshman AJ Nimeh drew a pinch-hit, nine-pitch walk with two away after fouling off three straight 3-2 offerings from new pitcher Parker Fokken. The senior right-hander got Johnny Pappas swinging, however, to earn his first save of 2022.

Rudy (3-1), went 5.2 innings and allowed three runs on six hits and one walk. He struck out eight, including the side in order in the fifth, and was pinned with his first loss of the year. Rudy also turned in a perfect third. Matt Orozco provided 2.1 scoreless frames of relief with a career-high five punch-outs and three hits against him. The junior right-hander got three successive swinging strikeouts to escape a jam in the eighth after the first two Otter batters had singled.

Lugo was 3-for-4 to post his first three-hit game as a Bronco.

McRae (3-0) gave up two runs, only one of them earned, on six hits and one walk over 6.0 frames. The senior left-hander struck out three, and turned in a solitary 1-2-3 inning in the first.

Ajamian finished 3-for-4 with the two home runs, two runs and all three RBI. Lindemann and Jacob Martin added two hits apiece.

Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Monterey Bay continue their weekend series with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 12. First pitch is at 2 p.m., with about a 40-minute break in between the first game and the shortened seven-inning nigthtcap.

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 328-209 (.611) overall and 229-153 (.599) in CCAA play under 12th-year head coach Randy Betten ... Betten posted the same batting order for the fourth consecutive game ... Will Rudy made his seventh collegiate appearance and fourth start on the mound ... Jacob Lopez's walk to lead off the second extended his reached-base streak to 15 games, with his leadoff infield single in the fourth advancing his hit streak to eight contests ... Cesar Lopez's second-inning single extended his hit streak to 10 games, with his now the first double-digit hit streak by a Bronco thus far in 2022 ... Ricky Nuñez saw his 14-game reached-base streak snapped ... Two more walks increased the Broncos' CCAA-leading total to 110, with CPP having entered Friday eighth nationally ... CPP is the preseason favorite in the CCAA, earning six of the 11 first-place votes, with CSUMB in third with two first-place nods ... The Otters were receiving votes outside the top 30 of Monday's first in-season edition of the Collegiate Baseball national poll.