Broncos split series

Baseball split a four-game series against California Collegiate Athletic Association rivals Sonoma State at Scolinos Field over the weekend.

The Broncos won the first two games of the series while outscoring the Seawolves 21-7. The Broncos’ late rallies fell short in games three and four.

Senior Ryan Alsworth (5-1) gave the Broncos six strong innings in the first game of the series, allowing four runs on seven hits and giving up two walks with three strike outs.

Sonoma State (12-12 CCAA, 16-14 overall) started the scoring in the first inning, giving them a 1-0 lead.

The Broncos evened the score in the bottom of the second.

Freshman shortstop Drew Cowley started the inning with a leadoff double and later scored on a ground out to tie the game at one.

The Broncos broke the game open in the fourth, scoring four runs.

Senior catcher Cody Martin hit a two-run homerun to give the Broncos a 5-1 lead heading into the fifth inning.

The Broncos (14-10 CCAA, 17-13) scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth, pushing their lead to 11.

The Seawolves scored three runs in the sixth, but the deficit was too much to overcome.

Broncos beat the Seawolves 11-4 to start the four-game series.

Three different Broncos knocked in multiple runs and all but three hitters failed to get on base.

Senior reliever Peter Beattie shut out the Seawolves to help secure the win for the Broncos in a 10-3 win in game two.

Beattie pitched two scoreless innings only allowing one hit.

Junior Austin Isenhart (4-1) started the game, pitching seven innings, allowing three runs on nine hits, while striking out three.

“Isenhart pitched great, he gave us a chance to win, and then we got the big hits in the second part of the game,” said coach Randy Betten.

Sonoma State jumped out to a 2-0 lead, scoring runs in the first two innings.

The Broncos pulled one back in the fourth, but still trailed 3-1.

The Broncos started a one out rally in the bottom of the seventh by drawing two consecutive walks.

Freshman outfielder Cesar Lopez hit a base hit down the right field line to drive in a run for the Broncos.

After getting consecutive hits, the Broncos captured the lead.

Cowley stepped up to the plate with runners in scoring position and hit a single to get two more across.

The Broncos scored a total of six runs in the inning.

In the eighth inning, the Broncos scored three more runs thanks to back-to-back home runs by junior first baseman Nic Hernandez and sophomore outfielder Brennan McKenzie.

“I felt pretty good. At the beginning of the game, I was having a hard time seeing the ball, and towards the end I started to pick it up a little bit better and I was trying to get a good swing on it and was able to hit it out,” said Hernandez.

Game three was a pitcher’s duel between both starting pitchers.

Junior Dylan Francis pitched five innings allowing two runs on five hits while striking out six.

With the game tied at one in the bottom of the fourth, the Broncos had the bases loaded with no outs and senior second baseman Bryce Graddy at the plate. Graddy reached on a fielder’s choice scoring two runs.

The Broncos ended the fourth with a 3-1 lead.

With the Seawolves threatening to tie the game in the top of the sixth, senior center fielder Jacob Bernardy caught a fly ball and threw a dart to home plate to throw out the runner and end the inning with a 3-2 lead heading to the final inning.

At the top of the seventh and one out away from taking a 3-0 series lead, the Seawolves scored three runs to recapture the lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Broncos threatened with runners on first and third with two outs, but Martin hit a hard line drive right to the first baseman to end the game and give the Seawolves their first win of the series, 5-3.

“We played really well and we battled back in that last inning and just came up a little short,” said Francis.

In the final game of the series, Sonoma State came out on top, 9-7.

The Broncos scored three runs in the first to give them an early lead.

The Seawolves answered right back with five runs in the second.

Trailing 8-7 in the bottom of the seventh with a runner at third and two outs, Graddy grounded out to third despite the Broncos’ fans and coaching staff complaining that the throw from third pulled the first baseman off the bag.

Third base coach Stacy Parker was ejected for his part in the protest.

Hernandez went 2-for-4 and added another home run, bringing his total for the season to five.

Cal Poly Pomona lost by two runs despite being out hit 14-6 by the Seawolves.

Sonoma State’s defense was in a giving mood, committing three errors.

Baseball travels to Cal State East Bay this weekend for a four-game series.