POMONA - It was effectively eighth time's the charm for Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday afternoon at Scolinos Field, as the Broncos came through with a huge five-run eighth after squandering several earlier chances and rallied for a 5-3 triumph over Chico State in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) baseball action.

Due to wet weather overnight, Saturday's intended doubleheader was first moved in the morning from 12 to 2 p.m., and on back until it settled on a 3 p.m. first pitch, but the second half of the twin bill was scrapped.

With the victory, CPP improved to 8-7 overall and an even 3-3 in the CCAA. Chico State fell to 11-4 overall and 4-2 in league play. The Broncos had rolled 14-0 in Friday night's opener, and with the set now a three-gamer, Saturday's come-from-behind result clinched the first series win for Cal Poly Pomona of the 2022 CCAA slate.

CPP had at least one in scoring position in six of the first seven innings, but had three runners thrown out at the plate, and came away empty with bases full and no outs in the fourth, and men at second and third with one away in the fifth, among other near-misses. The Broncos' leadoff man reached base safely in six of eight frames.

Finally in that eighth, CPP broke through, and did it in a big way. Nick Lugo singled up the middle for starters, ahead of a four-pitch walk to Tyler Chaffee. Both Broncos advanced on a wild pitch, and second-year freshman centerfielder Luke Watson came up clutch with an opposite-field triple, the first of his college career, into the gap in right center to make it 3-2. After Casey Slattery worked the count full and accepted his own free pass, Chico State made a change on the mound.

Johnny Pappas' flyout to shallow right center was not deep enough to score Watson, but senior second baseman Ryon Knowles was up to the task on the very next pitch, lifting a sacrifice fly into deeper right center to tie the game. Newcomer Ricky Nuñez then smoked an 0-1 offering deep to left center for his team-best fifth home run and a 5-3 advantage.

Like teammate Will Rudy the night before, right-hander Rhys Stevens (2-2) was magnificent, with the late rally coming just in time to make him the deserved winner. He posted career bests of 8.0 innings pitched and 11 strikeouts. The sophomore out of Mission Viejo allowed the three runs on just two hits, two hit-by-pitches and one walk. Stevens retired the last 11 'Cats he faced.

After suffering its first shutout of 2022 and first nine-inning shutout ever against CPP less than 24 hours prior, Chico State wasted no time in correcting that situation as rightfielder Jack Murphy lifted a 1-2 pitch out to right field for his third home run of the year to begin the contest.

The Broncos put runners at the corners with two gone through a pair of singles in the home half, but could not answer the Wildcat tally.

Stevens breezed through a 1-2-3 second with a 3-1 putout, handled comebacker and swinging strikeout. He had in fact set down seven straight 'Cats after the leadoff blast, with three strikeouts and four other infield outs, when he hit No. 9 batter Andrew Crane with a 2-1 toss with one away in the third. Murphy victimized him a second time with another shot down the right field line, this one a first-pitch RBI triple, and Jeffrey Ray's sacrifice fly made it 3-0.

Slattery's four-pitch walk began the home third, with the junior first baseman standing on second with two gone. Nuñez then pulled a single to left, but Slattery was thrown out at home by Crane.

Second-year freshman designated hitter Jacob Lopez sent an 0-2 pitch up the middle in the fourth to give CPP a leadoff runner for the third straight frame. Cesar Lopez followed with an opposite-field single to left, and the hosts were in business. A fourth error in the series by the 'Cats defense loaded the bases, still with nobody out. However, back-to-back fielder's choice groundouts to Jacob Jablonski at third base cut down two Broncos at the plate, and junior left-hander Rylan Tinsley froze Slattery on a 2-2 toss to wriggle out of the jam unscathed.

Cal Poly Pomona threatened once again in the fifth, as Knowles pulled a one-out single through the right side ahead of an opposite-field Nuñez double down the right field line. That chased Tinsley in favor of Tyler Chivens. The move paid off, with the junior right-hander getting a swinging punch-out and a called third strike to preserve the 3-0 lead.

The Broncos were again unable to cash in a leadoff walk in the sixth. Once more in the seventh, CPP advanced runners to second and third, but a sharp liner by Cesar Lopez went right into the glove of Murphy to leave two more stranded.

In the meantime, Stevens had put it on cruise control, quickly posting consecutive perfect innings in the sixth, seventh and eighth. Through eight, Murphy still had the only two hits against him, which came over the first 2.1 frames.

Eric Romo came on for the ninth and got a foulout and swinging strikeout before Jablonski took a 3-2 toss outside the zone to bring the tying run to the plate in the form of pinch-hitter Darien Cossio. After a visit from pitching coach Jenzen Torres, Romo popped Cossio up in foul territory with his very first offering, with Chaffee ranging over from third base and making the tough grab up against the fence to give the junior closer his second save.

Nuñez finished 3-for-5 with a double, home run, run scored and two RBI. Watson went 1-for-3 with the triple, run and two RBI. Knowles was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Jacob Lopez went 2-for-4 with a walk. Lugo was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run. Slattery walked twice with a run.

Tinsley, the 2019 CCAA Freshman of the Year while spending his first two seasons of college baseball at league foe Stanislaus State before pitching at Division I Sacramento State in 2021, gave up no runs on eight hits and one walk over 4.1 frames. He struck out two. Chivens went 2.2 shutout innings with two walks, a hit-by-pitch and three strikeouts. Gavin Kinney (0-1) was pinned with the loss.

Murphy wound up 2-for-4 with a triple, home run, two runs and two RBI. Crane was 0-for-1 with two hit-by-pitches, one run and a steal.

This series concludes with a single getaway-day finale on Sunday afternoon, March 6. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. at Scolinos Field.

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 328-207 (.613) overall and 229-151 (.603) in CCAA play under 12th-year head coach Randy Betten ... Rhys Stevens earned his fourth mound start of the year and ninth of his career ... Stevens turned in the fifth individual double-digit strikeout performance by a Bronco hurler already this season, with two each by him and Will Rudy, and the other by Noel Soto ... Ricky Nuñez's fifth-inning double was his second ... Nuñez, one of four Broncos to start all 15 games, has homered in four straight and five of the last six contests ... Luke Watson's sixth-inning sacrifice was his first, and Ryon Knowles' eighth-inning sacrifice fly his first ... Johnny Pappas' hit-by-pitch to begin the seventh was his team-best fourth ... Eric Romo now has four saves in the green and gold ... Five more walks increased the Broncos' CCAA-leading total to 102, with CPP having entered Friday sixth nationally ... CPP has still yet to get shut out in 2022 ... Chico State leads the all-time series, 64-43 ... Friday night's series opener was the first meeting between these teams in nearly three years, since they had not yet faced off in 2020 when that campaign was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic ... The last matchup before this weekend went to CPP, 17-4, on the second day of the CCAA Tournament in Stockton on May 9, 2019, en route to the Broncos' second tourney banner ... These teams split four-game regular-season sets in both 2018 (Pomona) and 2019 (Chico), and prior to Friday, had split their previous 20 matchups right down the middle, 10-10 ... They have met at least once in the postseason for four straight years (2016-19) ... The Broncos are 21-22 against the Wildcats under Betten (11-10 in Pomona) ... CPP is the preseason favorite in the CCAA, earning six of the 11 first-place votes, with Chico State right behind in second with two first-place nods.