POMONA, Calif. – The Cal Poly Pomona baseball team split their doubleheader with Stanislaus State on Saturday, improving to 12-24 on the season and 9-18 in conference play. The team's four-game winning streak after the first game marked their longest of the season, while senior catcher Johnny Pappas inched closer to etching his name in the record book.
 
In 198 career games played at CPP, Pappas has now scored 167 career runs, marking the second-most in school history. With one more run, he will tie Tom Weeks (1984-87) for the most scored in a Bronco uniform at 168. With just two more, he will break the record.
 
The senior out of Chino Hills has enjoyed a decorated career with the Broncos, currently ranking Top 10 in program history in games played, games started, at-bats, hits, doubles, home runs, runs batted in, total bases, walks, put outs, fielding percentage, runners caught stealing, and even hit by pitch.
 
 
Game 1: CPP 3, STAN 1
Behind a stellar start from Dylan Esquival and timely swings from Julian Angulo and Marco Malerba, Cal Poly Pomona held on against Stanislaus State 3-1 in the first game of the doubleheader.
 
Esquival (2-2) was dominant on the mound, tossing seven shutout innings while allowing just two hits and striking out five on 99 pitches. It was Esquival's second time tossing seven scoreless innings this season, after spinning a complete game shutout against Cal State Monterey Bay back on February 22^nd.
 
After a scoreless first three innings, the Broncos struck in the fourth. Johnny Pappas got things going with a leadoff hit by pitch, eventually scoring (career run #165) on Angulo's RBI groundout. Beau Betten then crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly from Malerba to give CPP a 2-0 lead.
 
Angulo came through again in the sixth, ripping a two-out double into the right-center gap to drive in Pappas (career run #166) for an insurance run and his second RBI of the afternoon.
 
Stanislaus State finally broke through in the eighth, capitalizing on a pair of walks and a fielder's choice to scratch across a run. But CPP's bullpen held firm. Colt Tucker got a key out to escape further damage before Andrew Campbell came on in the ninth and slammed the door for his second save of the season.
 
The Broncos managed just five hits, but made them count, with Angulo and Betten each notching a double.
 
 
Game 2: CPP 2, STAN 4
Cal Poly Pomona's late rally wasn't enough to overcome a big second inning, as the Broncos dropped the second game of the doubleheader 4-2, ending their four game winning streak.
 
After falling behind 3-0 in the second inning and giving up an additional one in the sixth, the Broncos fought back with a two-run push, but couldn't complete the comeback against a sharp outing from Warrior starter Austin Balentine.
 
Bronco starter Anthony Vasquez (1-2) gave the Broncos five innings on the mound, striking out six while allowing three earned runs on seven hits. The damage came in the second inning when Stanislaus strung together key hits, including a two-run double and an RBI single.
 
The Warriors (12-19) added one more in the sixth on an RBI double, stretching their lead to 4-0. The Broncos found some life in the bottom half of that frame. Johnny Pappas singled to start the rally and eventually came around to score (career run #167) on Marco Malerba's RBI double to right center. Julian Angulo later scored on a Sebastian Arguelles groundout, cutting the deficit in half.
 
Despite the momentum shift, Balentine (3-3) buckled down, tossing a complete-game to earn the win. Pappas and Angulo led the Broncos offensively, collecting two hits apiece.
 

Up Next
The Broncos and Warriors will close out the series tomorrow, April 6^th, with first pitch set for 12:00 PM.
 
 
Bronco Bits

• The Broncos are now 69-39-1 all-time against Stanislaus State, including 7-3 in their past 10 games.
• Randy Betten is now 428-290 (.596) as head coach of the Broncos and 305-210 (.592) in CCAA play.
• Betten is now 19 CCAA wins away from tying John Scolinos (324) for the most in program history.
• The Broncos have the third-toughest strength of schedule in all of NCAA Division II, with their opponents going 504-299 (.628) entering the weekend.
• Record Watch – Johnny Pappas (167) is one run away from tying Tom Weeks (1984-87) for the most runs scored in program history at 168.