NEWHALL, Calif. – Cal 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.
Game 1: CPP 5, TMU 6
After falling behind 1-0 on a solo shot in the first inning, the Broncos responded in the third. Julian Angulo's sacrifice fly brought home Dominic Porter to tie the game, and Anthony Gibbons followed with an RBI double to put Cal Poly Pomona ahead 2-1.
The Mustangs answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the third, but the Broncos stayed aggressive in the fourth. Gage Gonzales ripped an RBI single to left to bring in Tyler Chaffee, and Porter added another run with a groundout, pushing the lead to 4-2. Cal Poly Pomona tacked on another in the fifth when a balk allowed Angulo to score, extending the Broncos' advantage to 5-3.
Ruben Del Castillo took the mound for the Broncos and worked three innings, striking out five while allowing two earned runs. Tyler Reiter followed with an impressive 4.1-inning relief effort, striking out five and surrendering just one run on four hits.
Holding a slim 5-3 lead heading into the eighth, the Broncos saw The Master's chip away with a run on an RBI single. Needing three outs to secure the win, Cal Poly Pomona turned to closer Aren Alvarez in the ninth. After a leadoff single, Ty Beck once again delivered for The Master's, launching his second home run of the game to right field for a walk-off two-run shot, handing the Broncos a tough 6-5 defeat.
Game 2: CPP 2, TMU 5
The Broncos' offense struggled early, going scoreless through the first four innings. The Master's took the lead in the third on a fielder's choice, allowing a run to score and put the Mustangs ahead 1-0.
Cal Poly Pomona responded in the fifth as Brent Cota reached base and later came home on a sacrifice fly by Dominic Porter to even the score at 1-1. However, The Master's regained the lead in the sixth on an RBI single, making it 2-1.
In the ninth inning with two outs, the Broncos showed some late fight when Johnny Pappas doubled to center field, driving in Beau Betten to tie the game at 2-2. But the excitement was short-lived, as The Master's delivered the final blow in the bottom of the ninth. With one out and two runners on, TMU launched a three-run homer to left field, sealing the 5-2 victory for the Mustangs and their second walk-off home run of the day.
Cal Poly Pomona collected nine hits on the afternoon, with Anthony Gibbons being the lone Bronco to tally two. Starting pitcher Dylan Esquival put forth a strong effort on the mound, allowing just two runs over 5.1 innings while striking out seven. Reliever Evan Adolphus took the loss, giving up the three runs on the final swing of the game.
Up Next
The Broncos turn their attention to a big series next weekend, as they host No. 13 Cal State Monterey Bay (5-2) at Scolinos Field for the CCAA Opener. The Otters were picked as the favorite in the CCAA preseason poll after winning three straight CCAA regular season titles, while the Broncos were picked to finish second.
Bronco Bits
- The Broncos are now 4-11-1 all-time against The Master's. Friday's game was the two team's first meeting since the 2003 season.
- Randy Betten is now 419-272 (.606) as head coach of the Broncos.
- The last time the Broncos were swept in a three-game series was against Chico State in March 2023.
- The last time the Broncos were 3-6 to open the season was 2008.
- Johnny Pappas ranks Top 10 in many career categories, including: 7th all-time in games started (168), 10th in doubles (43), 8th in home runs (21), 5th in runs scored (142), and 4th in walks at (102).
Latest Men's Baseball
- Esquival Spins Complete Game Shutout in Doubleheader SplitDylan Esquival threw a complete game shutout in game two of the doubleheader on Saturday, helping the Broncos improve to 5-7 on the season and 2-1 in CCAA play. By winning at least one of the two games on Saturday, the team has secured at least a series split against CCAA preseason favorites Cal State Monterey Bay.
- Cal Poly Pomona Celebrates DII DayThe Cal Poly Pomona Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is proud to celebrate the third annual DII Day on February 22, 2025.
- 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.
- 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.
