POMONA, Calif. – The Cal Poly Pomona baseball team won both games of the doubleheader on Saturday, improving to 9-10 on the season and are now fifth in the conference standings with a 5-6 CCAA record. After dropping the series opener on Friday night, the Broncos have now gained the advantage in the series headed into the finale tomorrow morning.
 
 
Game 1 (FRI): CPP 2, CSUEB 7
Cal Poly Pomona struggled to string together opportunities in the opening game of the series on Friday night, losing by a score of 7-2. Their only offensive production came in the bottom of the fourth inning, when AJ Nimeh singled through the left side to score both Jack Sanders and Marco Malerba. East Bay would go on to score three more runs in the final three innings, walking away with the series opening win.
 
Starting pitcher Noel Soto struck out six batters in six innings of work, allowing seven hits and three earned runs. AJ Moreno threw 2.1 innings in relief, allowing one run to score in each of the three innings he appeared. Drew Atherton recorded the final two outs for CPP, forcing two ground outs.
 
With the loss, the Broncos dropped their fourth consecutive game for the first time since April of last season.
 
 
Game 2 (SAT): CPP 12, CSUEB 6
The Broncos fought hard to earn the victory in game one of the doubleheader, scoring 12 runs on 14 hits. Through the first five innings of play, CPP appeared to have a comfortable 5-0 lead. However, the Cal State East Bay bats woke up in the top of the sixth inning, scoring four runs on four hits to bring the game back within one.
 
Then in the seventh inning, the Pioneers captured their first lead of the game on a critical two-run home run down the left field line, putting their score at 6-5 in their favor. The Broncos responded in the bottom half of the inning, scoring three runs on three hits to regain the lead. A bases loaded walk by Johnny Pappas evened the score at 6-6, then a big one-out single to right field from AJ Nimeh would score two more runners to make the score 8-6. CPP would tack on the final four runs of the game in the bottom of the eighth, coming off a Pappas bases-clearing double and a Nimeh RBI double down the right field line.
 
Rhys Stevens took the ball in game one, being nearly untouchable in the first five innings with just one hit allowed. After encountering a tough sixth inning, Stevens walked away with a final stat line of 6.0 innings pitched, five hits, four earned runs, while striking four on 97 pitches. Anthony Vasquez and Chris Fields threw the final three innings in relief, Vazquez earning the first win of his collegiate career and Fields picking up his second save of the season.    
 
 
Game 3 (SAT): CPP 6, CSUEB 0 (7 innings)
Caleb Reyes was masterful in his return to the mound – having missed a few weeks due to a minor injury. Reyes delivered six scoreless innings, scattering five hits on 86 pitches. The redshirt senior worked out of multiple tight situations, including a bases loaded jam in the first inning that was cut short by an inning-ending ground ball double play.
 
In the third inning, Reyes escaped yet another bases loaded jam after fielding a ball and getting the runner out at the plate, then forcing a pop up to end the frame and strand the runners. In his final inning, the Encino native gave up a lead off home run, however, the batter missed home plate during his trip around the bases. An appeal by the Broncos would prove to be successful, as the run was taken off the board and the home run was reverted to an over-the-fence triple - and an out.
 
The Bronco bats scored six runs on four hits, with designated hitter Pappas leading the way with two. CPP got on the board with an Anthony Gibbons solo home run down the left field line in the second inning, his third of the season to make the score 1-0. Five walks by the Pioneer pitching staff would aid the Broncos in extending their lead in the third, scoring runs on back-to-back bases loaded walks. Gibbons then cashed in with a sac fly, making the score 4-0.
 
Pappas put the exclamation mark on the doubleheader sweep with a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth, giving Cal Poly Pomona some much-needed insurance and ultimately the win.
 
 
Up Next
The Broncos look to claim the series victory tomorrow, March 10^th, at 11:00 AM. The game will be available to watch on the CCAA Network. Due to technical issues, live stats will not be available – we appreciate your understanding.
 
 
Bronco Bits

• The Broncos are now 39-24-1 (.617) all-time against Cal State East Bay. This includes a 7-3 record in their past 10 games.
• Randy Betten now has a record of 393-252 (.609) as head coach of the Broncos. He is just seven wins away from the 400^th of his career.
• The last time CPP was 9-10 through their first 19 games was the 2018 season.
• Entering Saturday, CPP ranked 58^th in the country in home runs (16), 59^th in fielding percentage (.971), 67^th in walks allowed per nine innings (4.26), and 90^th in doubles (29).
• Entering Saturday, Johnny Pappas ranked 86^th in the nation in walks (14) while Aren Alvarez ranked 87^th in the nation in strikeouts per nine (11.09).