POMONA, Calif. – The Broncos lost two games on Friday, ending their 2024 CCAA Tournament title aspirations. Both games finished with a final score of 5-4, as both Cal State Monterey Bay and San Francisco State will now face each other in the championship game on Saturday.
 
 
Game 1: CSUMB 5, CPP 4 (10 innings)
Evan Adolphus.
 
The junior delivered a career performance in the winner's bracket game against No. 1 seed Cal State Monterey Bay, putting the team on his back and throwing 8.0 shutout innings and only allowing three hits on a career-high 121 pitches. This was his third start of the season where he pitched at least 6.0 innings and did not allow an earned run. The last time the Broncos had a starting pitcher go at least 8.0 innings without an earned run in the CCAA Tournament was 2019, when Adolphus' teammate Drew Atherton also threw eight shutout innings against Cal State Monterey Bay.
 
With the Broncos up 3-0 and just three outs away from the win, the Otters orchestrated a devastating four-run ninth inning to take a late lead. In the bottom of the ninth, Johnny Pappas reignited the Bronco fans with a lead-off home run, the 17^th of his career to crack the CPP Top 10 list while also bringing the game to even at 4-4.
 
In the top of the 10^th inning, a one-out base hit to left field brought in the final run of the game. Despite the throw from Jack Sanders and the tag by Anthony Gibbons being applied in time, the run still counted – due to Gibbons not giving the runner a clear lane to the plate. The rule against running full steam into the catcher was implemented roughly a decade ago in an effort to ensure player safety, but as part of that rule, the catcher has to allow the runner to have a clear lane to score - unless he has possession of the ball. The umpiring crew determined Gibbons obstructed the runners' ability to score before he had possession of the ball.  
 
As a result, the run counted, and the Otters would take the game by a score of 5-4. Due to the loss, the Broncos had to immediately play San Francisco State in an elimination game.
 
 
Game 2: CPP 4, SFSU 5
In the nightcap, the bats struggled to get going for CPP. The Broncos did not record a hit until the fifth inning, when Nick Lugo singled to right center field. In the bottom of the frame, the Gators would extend their lead to 5-0 with four runs on five consecutive hits.
 
Jack Sanders got the Broncos on the board in the top of the sixth with a solo shot to left center field, his 13^th of the season. He is now tied for fifth-most in a season in school history.
 
The Broncos rallied in the seventh, scoring three more runs on four hits and two stolen bases to make the score 5-4. It would remain there for the rest of the game, eliminating the Broncos from the CCAA Tournament and sending San Francsico State to the championship.
 
 
NCAA Selection Show
The Broncos now turn their attention to the NCAA Tournament, where they hope to compete for their fourth national title. The NCAA Selection Show will take place tomorrow, May 12^th, at 7:30 PM PST on NCAA.com. The west region will feature six teams broken up into two three-team regionals (Seeds 1/4/5 playing in one regional and 2/3/6 playing in another).
 
With Point Loma being ranked No. 1 and Cal State Monterey Bay being ranked No. 2 in the latest regional rankings, and both having strong showings in their respective conference tournaments, it's likely that CPP will be traveling to one of those two locations should they earn an at-large bid. The Broncos were ranked No. 4 in the latest regional poll.
 

All-Tournament Team
After the championship game on Saturday, it was announced that Caleb Reyes, Evan Adolphus, and Jack Sanders were named to the 2024 CCAA All-Tournament Team.