Cal Poly Pomona outslugs Azusa
Pacific, 15-7, in home opener
POMONA¾ Cal Poly Pomona certainly enjoyed its 2002 home opener.
Playing at Scolinos Field for the first time this season, the Broncos belted out 19 hits, including a two-run home run by Matt Lopez and rolled past Azusa Pacific, 15-7, Saturday afternoon. Cal Poly Pomona (1-1), which lost to Azusa Pacific in Azusa on Thursday, snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Cougars. The Broncos hadn’t beat Azusa Pacific since the 1998 season.
Junior third baseman Nicholas Sloey tied a single-game Cal Poly Pomona record with three doubles. He drove in three runs and scored three runs as well. Freshman outfielder Andrew Gonzales had three hits, two runs scored and four runs batted in for the Broncos, while junior outfielder Brian Ziarnick drove in three runs and had a pair of hits. Sophomore shortstop Matt Lopez had a pair of hits, including his first home run of the season. He drove in three runs.
All nine Cal Poly Pomona starters and 10 players total had hits for the Broncos, who put the game away early by scoring six runs in the second inning and four more in the third. Cal Poly Pomona led 12-1 after four innings.
The beneficiary of the offensive explosion was junior left-hander David Krisch, who allowed just six hits and one run in five innings. Krisch is a senior transfer from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
The Cougars led 1-0, but the Broncos erased that with their six-run second inning. Sloey doubled in two runs to give Cal Poly Pomona the lead, Gonzales followed with another two-run double to make it 4-2 and Ziarnick singled in two runs to complete the uprising.
Cal Poly Pomona added four more runs in the third. Gonzales had a two-run single in the inning, Ziarnick doubled in a run and Benny Winslow grounded out for the final run.
Hing pitched a scoreless inning after Krisch left and Chris Sotro also pitched a scoreless inning in relief.
The Broncos will be back in action on Tuesday at Biola University.