POMONA – The 21st-ranked Cal Poly Pomona baseball team pounded out 21 runs on 17 hits in two games combined, and the pitching and defense was on point, adding up to a doubleheader sweep of 10-1 and 11-3 victories over the University of Colorado Colorado Springs on Saturday at Scolinos Field in Pomona.
The Broncos have risen to a perfect 3-0 this season, while the Mountain Lions fall to 0-3.
Cedrick Perez and
Jacob Lopez led the offense with four RBI while
Marco Malerba went 4 for 8 with two RBI in the twinbill.
Game 1: #21 Cal Poly Pomona 10, UCCS 1
Carlo Flores and
AJ Moreno teamed up on the mound to keep the UCCS bats quiet for a second straight game, as the two combined to go seven and two-thirds innings, allowing just one run on five hits, striking out eight.
Flores (1-0) did run into trouble twice, loading the bases with one out in the top of the first before inducing an inning-ending double play, then finding runners on first and second with no outs, only to earn a strikeout, fly out and pop out to end the threat. In total, he allowed five hits and one walk, striking out six in his five -plus innings of work. Moreno came on in the sixth with a UCCS runner on third with one out, but he got the next two Mountain Lion batters to pop out and flyout to keep UCCS off the scoreboard again.
The visitors finally broke through for their first run of the season when Evan Steinberger hit a RBI single to left field, scoring Caleb Stubbings. That would be the extent of their offense, though, as Moreno,
Scott Armstrong and
Matt Orozco closed out the game.
Offensively, the Broncos didn't take long to put a run across the plate as
Brent Cota hit a one-out triple before coming home on a
Cedrick Perez groundout in the bottom of the first inning.
In the third,
Nin Burns II led off with a single, stole second base, then moved to third on a wild pitch just before Perez delivered again, a single to right field for the 2-0 lead. Three batters later,
Ben Lee doubled home two runs in
Marco Malerba and Perez for the 4-0 lead after three.
It would stay that way until the eighth when UCCS scored their aforementioned run in the top of the inning. In the bottom of the eighth, the flood gates opened for the Broncos, beginning with a
Tyler Chaffee solo home run to left. Five batters later, Perez brought home two more runs on a double to left center, then Malerba followed with his own two-RBI base hit for the 9-1 lead. The 10th run for CPP came home when Malerba scored on a balk by UCCS pitcher Joe McDermott.
Orozco came on in the ninth and retired the Mountain Lions in order for the 10-1 victory.
Malerba ended the game with three hits and two runs scored while Perez was 2 for 5 with his double and four RBI.
Game 2: #21 Cal Poly Pomona 11, UCCS 3
The Bronco offense began early, and they scored often to earn another blowout win over UCCS. Four runs came home to score in the first, three more in the third and four more in the fourth.
Jacob Lopez led the way in game two, going 2 for 3 with a double, four RBI and three runs scored, and
Jordan Ku plated three runs with a 1 for 2 effort.
On the mound,
Noel Soto worked three and two-thirds innings, giving up one run on two hits, walking three and striking out six.
Drew D'Ambra (1-0) came on in relief and allowed the other two UCCS runs on three hits before
Kyle Calzadiaz and
Andrew Campbell worked the final two frames and shut the Mountain Lions down.
Cal Poly Pomona and UCCS will wrap up the four-game series Sunday at 11:00 am.
Bronco Bits
- Head coach Randy Betten is now 358-219 in 12 seasons at Cal Poly Pomona, including 191-85 at home and 105-59 in non-conference games (47-17 in non-conference games at home).
- Having scored at least one run in both games today, the Broncos' offense has not been shutout in a program-record 123 consecutive games dating back to Feb. 23, 2019. Additionally, CPP has not been shutout in 70 consecutive home games dating back to Apr. 29, 2018.
- After scoring 10 runs in both games, it is the 106th and 107th time since the start of the 2011 season that the Broncos have scored 10 or more runs in a game (103-4 in such games).
- The all-time series between CPP and UCCS is now 13-9 (the Broncos have won the last six contests), including 12-6 in games played in Pomona.
- Ranked at No. 21 in this week's College Baseball Newspaper/American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Top 30 Coaches' Poll, this is the 67th week since 1998 that CPP has been nationally ranked, including 59 weeks under Randy Betten.
- As a program, Cal Poly Pomona is now 1,691-1,505-21 in its 63rd season overall, including 642-427-8 in home games since the start of the 1980 season.
All home games and most away contests will stream live online via the CCAA Network at
www.ccaanetwork.com. You 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. For $9.95 per month, subscribers will have access to all CCAA broadcasts, both live and on-demand, for one low monthly price. Over half of each monthly subscription purchase will go directly back to the CCAA Athletic Department of your choice to support the student-athlete experience. Sign-ups are available right now at each universities' network portal. Just go to
CCAAnetwork.com, select your favorite team at the top and the 'click to subscribe.'
CPP Athletics has gone cashless! Tickets are on sale now for all CPP baseball home games. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets online prior to coming to campus at
broncoathletics.com/tickets or by downloading the HomeTown Fan app on your smartphone or tablet.
New this year, only debit and credit cards will be accepted at the box office for admission. Limited concession items will be on sale on-site as well, and
the concession stand will also only accept debit and credit cards.
Follow the Broncos all season long by going to
broncoathletics.com/followus and sign up to receive breaking news and final score updates throughout the year.
