POMONA ¾ Cal Poly Pomona’s baseball team got off to a promising start in CCAA play.
The Broncos, who have qualified for the CCAA Championship Tournament the past two seasons, edged Cal State L.A., 3-2, on Thursday night in their conference opener. Jason Welch (Sr., Diamond Bar, Santa Ana JC) doubled in Gregor Connors (Sr., Poway, Palomar College) with the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning and relievers Jose Munoz (Jr., Baldwin Park, Rio Hondo JC) and Ricky Wooten (So., Riverside, Rubidoux HS) retired the Golden Eagles in the final two innings to preserve the win.
Tony Ortiz (Sr., Rancho Cucamonga, Mt. SAC) pitched seven strong innings to record his first victory of the season. Ortiz (1-1) allowed just seven hits and no earned runs in his best start of the season. Munoz struck out two of the three batters he faced in a scoreless eighth inning, while Wooten allowed just one hit and struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning. Wooten has three saves already this season.
The Broncos (6-2-1, 1-0) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Jason Marcus (Sr., San Dimas, Mt. SAC). Benny Winslow (Jr., Tucson, Ariz., Cuesta College) reached on a one-out error and moved to third on a double by Anthony Gonzales (Jr., Whittier, Santa Ana JC). Marcus followed with the sacrifice fly for his team-leading 14th RBI.
Cal State L.A. (5-10, 2-3) took a 2-1 lead in the second inning thanks in part to a pair of Cal Poly Pomona errors and maintained that advantage until the sixth inning. Connors tripled to center and scored the tying run on a single by Andy Gonzales (Fr., Whittier, California HS). The score remaining tied at 2-2 until Welch’s game-tying hit in the eighth inning.
Andy Gonzales had three hits to lead a 10-hit Cal Poly Pomona attack. Connors was 2-4 with a pair of runs scored and Welch also had two hits.
Game 2 of the four-game series – all games are being played at Cal State L.A. this season after all four were played at Cal Poly Pomona last season – will begin at 2:30 p.m. on Friday.