LOS ANGELES - Cal Poly Pomona got a stellar start from true freshman southpaw Edrian Rangel and a go-ahead three-run home run from veteran Ryon Knowles to rally past Cal State LA, 6-3, in the finale of a four-game California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) baseball series at Reeder Field on Sunday.

With the victory, CPP improves to 28-17 overall and 23-12 in the CCAA. Cal State LA falls to 17-29 overall and 12-24 in league play. The area foes split the weekend set, as the Broncos had won Friday night's opener, 22-9 in 10 innings, before the hosts swept the Saturday doubleheader by scores of 12-11 and 5-1 in seven frames.

Elsewhere, No. 22 Chico State rolled past No. 14 Cal State Monterey Bay, 26-7, to snap a season-long five-game skid, so CPP remains tied with the Wildcats in second behind the regular-season champion Otters. That second spot is more important than in the past this year, as the top two seeds at the CCAA Tournament earn first-day byes on May 11.

Cal State LA produced a three-run rally in its first turn at the plate Sunday, all with two outs. A two-run triple by Michael Rosales followed an A.J. Salgado double and a walk to Will Picketts. Gerardo Castaneda then singled in Rosales.

CPP got two of the runs right back in the second. Knowles and Nick Lugo led off with infield singles, the latter a bunt, with both Broncos advancing an extra base via error. Consecutive right-sided RBI groundouts by Tyler Chaffee and Dylan Long made it 3-2.

The fourth again began with two straight Bronco singles, by Lugo and Chaffee. Starter Micah Hee threw out the lead runner on a sacrifice attempt, however, and got a lineout and called third strike to get out of it.

Cal Poly Pomona put multiple runners on base again in the fifth and this time got a huge knock to put up a second crooked number on the day and grab a 5-3 advantage. Johnny Pappas singled to lead off and with one away, Ricky Nuñez also worked the count full and drew a walk. With the count again at 3-2, Knowles launched a three-run home run to right center. It was his fourth this year and 10th in the green and gold.

Rangel returned to the hill for the home half and needed just six pitches for two groundouts and a flyout.

CPP added a tally in the sixth. Pappas' two-out, opposite-field triple came ahead of Cesar Lopez's RBI single, also to the gap in right center.

Rangel then worked out of a huge jam in the home sixth. He hit Salgado for starters and walked Picketts. He rallied to freeze both Rosales and Castaneda on called third strikes. The Pomona native missed on a 3-2 toss to Penzetta to load the bases and bring the go-ahead run to the plate, but induced a fielder's choice ground ball to Chaffee at third base.

Matt Orozco took over for a 1-2-3 seventh on a strikeout and two fly balls. The junior right-hander was also perfect in the eighth through a groundout, strikeout and flyout. Orozco came back out for the ninth as well and ducked around a one-out walk with two more flyouts around his third swinging punch-out, earning his second save.

Rangel (3-4) pitched 6.0 innings to equal his season long and allowed three runs on five hits, a hit-by-pitch and three walks. He struck out three. Rangel turned in a 1-2-3 shutdown second after CPP's two-run half, and retired the Golden Eagles in order again in the third, both times with two groundouts and a flyout. He set down eight in a row in all during that stretch, six on ground balls.

The Broncos had a hit in each of the first six innings. Knowles finished 2-for-4 with the home run, a walk, two runs and three RBI. Pappas was 3-for-5 with his triple and two runs. Lugo went 3-for-4 with a run.

Hee (1-6) gave up five runs on 10 hits and one walk over 4.1 frames. The senior right-hander fanned three.

Cal Poly Pomona heads home to round out the regular season with another area rival in Cal State Dominguez Hills. The series opener on Thursday night, May 5, is set for a 6 p.m. first pitch 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 348-217 (.616) overall and 249-160 (.609) in CCAA play under 12th-year head coach Randy Betten ... Second-year freshman designated hitter Jacob Lopez started his 26th straight game in the leadoff spot ... Edrian Rangel made his 10th appearance and ninth start ... Rangel has now gone six innings in three consecutive outings and won back-to-back starts for the first time ... Fellow true freshman catcher Dylan Long threw out his second would-be base-stealer to end the first ... Ryon Knowles' single to lead off the second extended both his reached-base and hit streaks to 17 games ... Knowles was caught stealing for the first time this season after six successful swipes, to end the ninth ... Johnny Pappas' sixth-inning triple was his third, tying him for the team lead ... Pappas produced his third three-hit game and second triple of the series, finishing 9-for-20 (.450) ... Cesar Lopez's sixth-inning single extended his team-best reached-base streak to 26 ... Two more walks increased the Broncos' CCAA-leading total to 261 ... The Broncos are 9-11 away from home in 2022 ... CPP holds a 118-111 lead in the all-time series that dates back to 1965, with six straight wins prior to Saturday ... The Broncos have defeated only one opponent more, as they have topped another area rival in Cal State Dominguez Hills 123 times ... CPP has not, however, played anyone more than the Golden Eagles, now with 229 meetings (212 against the Toros) ... The Broncos are 26-20 against the Golden Eagles under Betten (10-15 at Reeder Field) ... CPP was the CCAA's preseason favorite, earning six of the 11 first-place votes, with CSULA picked eighth, with one first-place nod ... The Broncos were at No. 5 in Wednesday's first official NCAA West Region poll, which is used to select the six participants of the 2022 NCAA West Regional next month.