POMONA, Calif. – The Broncos won a thriller in Friday night's series opener against Colorado State Pueblo, defeating the Thunderwolves 5-4 in 10 innings. With the win, the Broncos improve to 7-4 to start the season while CSU Pueblo drops to 5-4.
 
Senior Dylan Esquival was masterful on Friday night, throwing 6.0 hitless innings while striking out seven batters. The Rancho Cucamonga native has been the certified ace of the Bronco pitching staff, not surrendering a run in his first 20.0 innings of the season, while also holding opponents to just nine hits for a .138 opponent batting average. In addition, he has struck out 25 batters while issuing just five walks, leading the entire CCAA in tickets punched. He is the only qualified pitcher in the entire conference to have not given up a run this season.
 
Cal Poly Pomona struck first in the bottom of the third inning, exploding for three runs against CSU Pueblo starter Jacob Petersheim. After Diego Murillo was hit by a pitch and Bryan Richman and Daniel Ruiz both singled via a bunt, Jack Sanders reached on a CSUP error, plating two runs. Tyler Blade followed with a ground-out RBI, bringing home Sanders to make it 3-0.
 
The Thunderwolves stormed back in the top of the eighth, using timely hitting to ignite a four-run frame. Four hits, including two doubles, flipped the score 4-3 in favor of CSUP. Facing a deficit, the Broncos responded immediately in their half of the eighth. Julian Angulo walked and later scored on a two-out wild pitch to even the game at 4-4, setting up a dramatic finish.
 
The game remained deadlocked through the ninth, marking CPP's first extra-inning game of the season. In the bottom of the tenth, Cal Poly Pomona seized the opportunity. Four straight singles by Ruiz, Sanders, Blade, and Angulo would bring home the winning run, marking CPP's first walk-off win of the 2026 season.
 
Reliever Gavin Smith earned his first career win for the Broncos, tossing two scoreless relief innings with four strikeouts.
 
 
Up Next
The Broncos and Thunderwolves will continue their series tomorrow, February 21^st, with a doubleheader beginning at 2:00 PM.
 
 
Bronco Bits

• The Broncos are 3-4 all-time against Colorado State Pueblo, with their last meeting before this series taking place in 2008.
• Randy Betten is now 438-304 (.590) as head coach of the Broncos.
• As a program, Cal Poly Pomona is now 1,775-1,589-21 in its 66th season overall, including 928-589-14 (.611) in home games.
• The last time the team was 7-4 to start the season was 2020.
• The Broncos rank second in the CCAA in fielding percentage (.973) and first in strikeouts (98).