POMONA, Calif. - The Cal Poly Pomona baseball team held off No. 10-ranked Colorado Mesa 3-2 on Friday night at Scolinos Field, securing the win behind strong pitching and a big second-inning rally. With the win, the Broncos improve to 3-2 on the season, while the Mavericks fall to 1-1 through their first two games.
The Broncos capitalized early, plating all three of their runs in the bottom of the second inning – surprisingly on no hits. A combination of disciplined at-bats and two costly errors put the Broncos ahead early, with the pivotal play coming on a failed pick-off attempt that went down the right field line and allowed both Dominic Porter and Anthony Gibbons to score.
Freshman starter Anthony Cosme delivered a solid outing, going 4.2 innings while allowing just one earned run on four hits. Cosme struck out six Mavericks and worked out of multiple jams before handing the ball to the bullpen. Chris Fields and Aren Alvarez shut down the Colorado Mesa offense, combining for 4.1 scoreless innings and just one hit to seal the win. Fields picked up the win and Alvarez earned the save, each their first of the season.
Cal Poly Pomona's offense managed just five hits on the night, with Beau Betten providing the only extra-base hit, a double down the right field line in the sixth inning. Marco Malerba and Julian Angulo each continued their hot start to the season with a hit a piece.
Colorado Mesa chipped away at the lead, scoring a run in the third and another in the fifth, but CPP's pitching proved too strong in the late innings. The Mavericks stranded seven runners on base and were unable to break through against the Broncos' bullpen.
The victory gives CPP momentum heading into the final game of the series, as they look to build on their strong pitching performance.
Up Next
The Broncos and Mavericks will conclude their series with one game tomorrow, February 8th, at 12:00 PM. Due to the weather challenges on Thursday and Friday, the series has been reduced from a four game set to three.
Bronco Bits
- The Broncos are now 7-2 all-time against Colorado Mesa, with Thursday's game being their first meeting since 2007.
- Randy Betten is now 419-268 (.610) as head coach of the Broncos.
- Friday night was the Broncos' highest-ranked win since defeating No. 6 Cal State San Bernardino on March 27, 2023.
- The last time the Broncos were 3-2 to open the season was 2022.
- CPP leads the CCAA with a .309 team batting average.
- Julian Angulo currently leads the CCAA with 12 hits, the only player in the conference in double digits.
Latest Men's Baseball
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- Sixth Inning Rally Leads Broncos to Win Over No. 15 Otters in CCAA OpenerA huge sixth-inning rally propelled Cal Poly Pomona to a thrilling 9-7 comeback victory over No. 15 Cal State Monterey Bay on Friday evening at Scolinos Field. The Broncos, trailing 7-3 in the sixth, exploded for five runs to take the lead and held off the Otters late to secure the win. With the victory, CPP improves to 4-6 on the season and 1-0 in conference play.
- Broncos Celebrate 2,000th Win Under Brian SwansonThough he may not be the one holding a clipboard or writing the starting lineup, Cal Poly Pomona Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Brian Swanson, has had a massive impact on the success of Bronco Athletics since taking the helm on May 31, 2005. Thursday night marked yet another milestone in Swanson's decorated 20 years as CPP Athletics Director, as the Broncos celebrated their 2,000th win under his leadership.
- Late Mustang Heroics Stun Broncos, TwiceCal Poly Pomona baseball lost in heartbreaking fashion twice during Saturday's doubleheader, seeing The Master's hit a walk-off home run in both games of the doubleheader. With the losses, the Broncos fall to 3-6 to open the season.
- Baseball Drops Series Opener at The Master’sCal Poly Pomona saw an early lead slip away as The Master's stormed back with a seventh-inning surge, resulting in a 9-6 loss on Friday afternoon at Lou Herwaldt Stadium. The Broncos fall to 3-4 to open the season and are now 0-1 on the road.
- Broncos Come Up Short in Series FinaleDespite some early offensive production, Cal Poly Pomona couldn't hold off the bats of No. 10 Colorado Mesa, falling 6-4 in the series finale on Saturday afternoon. With the loss, the Broncos fall to 3-3 on the season, all six games being against nationally-ranked opponents.
