By GRACE MIKURIYA & MICHAEL ACEVEDO
Sports Editor & Staff Writer
Fans were treated to extra-inning baseball as the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos kicked off the series opener with a 15-inning game on Friday morning at San Francisco State’s Maloney Field.
The Broncos, who entered Friday’s contest at 11-6 overall (9-3 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, or CCAA), arrived in hostile territory as they faced the undefeated-at-home Gators, who are 12-6 (6-6 CCAA).
It was the Gators who struck for three runs in the home half of the first inning off the Broncos’ pitcher Gavin Velasquez. After Velasquez allowed one run on a single by junior first baseman Trevor Rogers, Gators junior third baseman Richie Rios smacked a two-run home run to give the Gators a 3-0 lead.
The Broncos began chipping away at the deficit in the third inning after junior center fielder Cesar Lopez hit an RBI single to right field. The next inning, an error committed by the Gators’ third baseman allowed the Broncos to score another run.
Still chasing one run going into the seventh inning, senior second baseman Ryon Knowles hit an RBI single up the middle to tie the game at three runs apiece.
After both teams were unable to score again, the game headed into extra innings. The Broncos were able to take the lead in the 14th inning, but the Gators capitalized on two errors made by the Broncos in the bottom of the inning to once again tie the game.
Five hours into the game, the Gators walked off on an RBI single and took game one by a final of 5-4.
“I think the big thing for us is striking first and getting out to an early lead, making them chase us instead of us chasing them,” head coach Randy Betten said after the loss. “I think just trying to come out in the first three innings and maintain, or get a lead, will be critical on the road because it is really hard when you’re always chasing on the road.”
After flushing the extra-innings loss on Friday, the Broncos were back on the field Saturday afternoon for game two of the series.
The Broncos would strike in the first inning off a sacrifice fly by senior first baseman Brennan McKenzie, which gave the Broncos a 1-0 lead.
The Gators quickly answered, as they scored two runs off sophomore pitcher Drew Atherton in the second inning to take a 2-1 lead.
After allowing the two runs, Atherton began to find his groove and kept his team in striking range. Atherton made quick work of the Gators in the third, fourth and fifth innings as he struck out six batters and only allowed two hits in that span.
“I felt pretty good, I think my fastball was working really well. I have a great pitching coach who was calling pitches and I have a solid guy behind the dish,” Atherton said.
“I also have a solid offense who picked me up after I gave up two, and they came back and were able to get the lead for me.”
Junior shortstop Drew Cowley gave the Broncos the lead after hitting a two-run single up the middle in the third to take the lead at 3-2. Two innings later, the Broncos added another run off a Cesar Lopez double to make the lead 4-2.
With a two-run lead in the seventh, McKenzie wasn’t done yet as he leaped on a first pitch fastball that he sent over the left field wall for a two-run home run.
“I wanted to be aggressive, it was a fastball down in the zone and I put a good swing on it,” McKenzie said.
After the McKenzie home run, the Broncos led by a score of 6-2 and Cowley would drive in his third RBI of the game in the ninth inning to stretch the lead to 7-2.
The Broncos would hand the Gators their first home loss of the season by a final of 7-3.
The two teams finished out the series with a doubleheader on Sunday.
The Broncos defeated the Gators 6-1 in the first game of the day.
Freshman Cameron Mabee was on the mound for the Broncos, pitching six innings and allowing only one hit and no runs.
In the first inning, McKenzie got the scoring started with a homer to left center to bring in the first two runs.
The Broncos expanded their lead in the fourth inning when junior designated hitter Andrew Martinez singled through the left side to bring Cowley home.
Senior third baseman Matt Manskar’s single to right center allowed senior center fielder Christian Moya to score, giving the Broncos a 4-0 lead.
In the fifth inning, McKenzie singled up the middle to score Palacio. Then, in the eighth inning, junior catcher Shane Gipson singled to bring in the final run for the Broncos.
The Gators managed to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth, but the Broncos walked away with the 6-1 victory.
The Gators then took the final game 4-1, to split the series with the Broncos.
The Broncos will return to Scolinos Field this week for a four-game series against Sonoma State. The first game will be 6 p.m. Friday.