LOS ANGELES ¾ Cal Poly Pomona’s baseball team couldn’t have asked for a better conference start.
The Broncos completed a four-game series sweep of Cal State L.A. by winning both ends of a doubleheader Saturday in Los Angeles. Cal Poly Pomona won the opener, 7-6, and took the nightcap, 13-7. The Broncos (9-2-1, 4-0) pounded out 26 hits in the doubleheader and now have a team batting average of .343.
Jason Welch (Sr., Diamond Bar, Santa Ana JC) continued his hot hitting with home runs in each game Saturday. Welch had five RBI in the doubleheader and is now tied for the team lead with 15. Jason Marcus (Sr., San Dimas, Mt. SAC) had one RBI and is tied with Welch for the team lead.
Kevin Waldinger (Sr., Yorba Linda, Fullerton JC) pitched seven solid innings to get the win in the first game to improve to 2-0. He allowed 10 hits and five runs and left with a 7-5 lead. Justin Carty (Fr., Montclair, Montclair HS) pitched the final two innings for his first save, allowing only an unearned run. Welch and Anthony Gonzales (Jr., Whittier, Santa Ana JC) drove in two runs each and both hit their first home run of the season. Welch homered to lead off the fourth inning, while Gonzales belted a two-run homer in the seventh inning to give the Broncos a 5-4 lead.
In the nightcap, Andrew Perkins (Jr., Diamond Bar, Diamond Bar HS) made his season debut and went four strong innings to pick up the win. Perkins, who missed all of last season with a shoulder injury, allowed only one hit in four innings of the seven-inning nightcap. The Broncos led 11-0 after four-and-a-half innings.
Welch had three RBI to lead the way. Gregor Connors (Sr., Poway, Palomar College) drove in a pair of runs and Jonathan Alexander had a big game, going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI. Andy Gonzales (Fr., Whittier, California HS) added a pair of RBI. Matt Stevens (Fr., Riverside, Rubidoux HS) had a triple and a pair of walks and scored three times.
The Broncos return to action Thursday afternoon with a conference game at Cal State San Bernardino. A four-game series with the Coyotes will conclude next Saturday with a doubleheader at Scolinos Field beginning at 11 a.m.