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Evan Adolphus
Sarah Macias
3
Chico State CSUC 5-1
6
Winner Cal Poly Pomona CPP 5-4
Chico State CSUC
5-1
3
Final
6
Cal Poly Pomona CPP
5-4
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Chico State CSUC 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 3 6 0
Cal Poly Pomona CPP 1 2 0 0 0 1 1 1 X 6 10 1

W: Soto, Noel (2-1) L: LYONS, Kevin (1-1) S: Adolphus, Evan (1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Alex Kline, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications

Broncos Take Down Wildcats in CCAA Opener

POMONA, Calif. – The Broncos won an exciting game against Chico State on Friday night, defeating the Wildcats by a score of 6-3 to improve to 5-4 on the season. They were one of four schools in the CCAA to open conference play with a 1-0 record on Friday.
 
Johnny Pappas and Anthony Gibbons powered the Broncos to the win, each hitting a home run while also collecting extra base hits. The two accounted for four of the team's six runs and five of the team's 10 hits. Cal Poly Pomona now has six games with double digit hits on the season.
 
The Broncos got on the board in the bottom of the first inning on a Jacob Lopez RBI groundout that scored Pappas, who had reached on a double to start the frame. In the top of the second, the Wildcats led off with a hit to centerfield and a subsequent error that allowed the runner to advance to second base. Entering the game, the Broncos were ranked sixth in the nation with a .992 fielding percentage. That runner would go on to score on an RBI single, bringing the game even at 1-1.
 
CPP continued to apply pressure, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom half of the second on a Beau Betten RBI single and a Pappas double to left center, giving the Green & Gold a 3-1 advantage. Gibbons extended that lead to 4-1 in the sixth inning with his second home run of the season, a no doubter to left field.
 
The Wildcats made some noise in the seventh, scoring two runs on a clutch two-out double to bring the game back within one at 4-3. However, Pappas then collected his third extra base hit of the night with a home run to left center field, giving the Broncos a pivotal insurance run. The team's sixth and final run of the game would come in the bottom of the eighth on a Brent Cota ground out that pushed across Gibbons.
 
Senior Noel Soto delivered a quality start on the mound, going 7.0 strong innings while allowing five hits and two earned runs. Soto also struck out seven batters, improving his team-leading total to 18 on the season. With the win, the Lakewood native improves to 2-1 on the season and picks up his 11th career win at Cal Poly Pomona.
 
Evan Adolphus was the lone reliever out of the pen, only allowing one base runner in his 2.0 innings of work. Adolphus also picked up the save, the first of his career at CPP.
 
 
Up Next
The Broncos and Wildcats will face off on Saturday in a doubleheader at Scolinos Field. The first pitch of game one is set for 2:00 PM.
 
 
Bronco Bits
  • The Broncos are now 44-68 all-time against Chico State, including 5-5 in their past 10 games.
  • Randy Betten now owns a 389-246 (.613) record as head coach of the Broncos.
  • The Broncos have now owned a 5-4 record through their first nine games in FIVE of their past six seasons. The only season they didn't start the season 5-4 was 2023, where they held an 8-1 record at the nine-game mark.
  • 8 of the 11 teams in the CCAA currently own a record above .500 to start the season. The CCAA has historically dominated the west region in baseball, having sent a team to the DII College World Series in 17 of the past 20 seasons.