Offense Explodes to Clinch Series Over LA
LOS ANGELES – The Broncos scored 13 runs on 14 hits in the series finale on Sunday, defeating Cal State LA 13-3 to claim the series victory. With the win, Cal Poly Pomona improves to 24-17 on the season and 20-12 in conference play. That is now the 10th time in Randy Betten's 12 full seasons (COVID excluded) that CPP has reached the 20-win mark in conference games.
The Broncos got to work early, scoring four runs in the top of the first inning. Johnny Pappas smacked the third pitch of the game over the right center field fence, his seventh home run of the season to match his career total entering the year. Now with 14, he sits just three away from 10th place on the CPP all-time list.
Freshman Julian Angulo added on with a double down the right field line, scoring Marco Malerba to make the score 2-0. Darius Price followed with a double to center field, driving in two more runners to bring it to 4-0 before the Golden Eagles got a chance to bat.
In the top of the third inning, Angulo hit his second career home run – a no doubter to the left of the indoor batting cage - to extend the lead to 6-1. Marlerba added on one more with an RBI double in the fourth, his ninth of the season. The next batter, Anthony Gibbons, then hit his team-leading eighth home run to left field to extend the lead to seven. The Broncos poured it on in the seventh inning, scoring four runs on four hits to take a comfortable 13-3 lead.
Evan Adolphus went 7.0 strong innings, allowing just three earned runs for his third quality start of the season. The junior struck out five Golden Eagle batters while not allowing a free pass on 86 pitches. The win was Adolphus' third of the season, improving to 3-2 on the year.
Senior Ruben Del Castillo threw the remaining two innings out of the pen, surrendering just one hit and one walk while striking three on 27 pitches.
Up Next
The Broncos will host Cal State Dominguez Hills this coming weekend in an eventful series at Scolinos Field. On Saturday, members of the 1976 national championship team will throw out the first pitch before game one of the doubleheader. Then on Sunday, the program will honor their seniors with a ceremony before the game.
Bronco Bits
- CPP is now 124-113 (.523) all-time against Cal State LA, including 7-3 in their past 10 games. The Broncos' largest margin of victory is 13 runs, which, shockingly, came in an extra inning game in 2022 where CPP scored 13 runs in the top of the 10th inning to win 22-9.
- Randy Betten is now 408-259 (.612) overall as head coach of the Broncos. He is 34 CCAA wins away from passing John Scolinos for most conference games won in CPP history. He is now 291-189 (.606) in CCAA games, while Scolinos was 324-256-3 (.558) in conference competition.
- Jack Sanders' 38-game on-base streak is the longest for CPP since 2012. He has reached base in every single contest since game two of opening day against Azusa Pacific at home.
- Johnny Pappas is tied with Chris Clark (1978-80) for 6th most walks in program history at 97. Pappas' current coach, Jenzen Torres, is tied with Tom Weeks for 4th most at 100.
- Saturday's win in game two of the doubleheader was assistant coach Anthony Mizrahi's 100th as a member of the CPP coaching staff.
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- CCAA Joins FloSports in Historic Media Rights AgreementFloSports, a leading global sports media company, and the CCAA, the most successful NCAA Division II conference with 156 National Championships, have entered into an exclusive multi-year, seven-figure media rights agreement to begin this Fall.
- CCAA Joins FloSports in Historic Media Rights AgreementFloSports, a leading global sports media company, and the CCAA, the most successful NCAA Division II conference with 156 National Championships, have entered into an exclusive multi-year, seven-figure media rights agreement to begin this Fall.