POMONA, Calif. – In the season opener, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs baseball team falls short to California Polytechnic State University, Pomona in an extra inning thriller.

UCCS (0-1) was out-hit by Cal Poly Pomona (1-0) 14-11 in the ballgame as the Broncos did not hold a single lead until their walk-off in the bottom of the 12^th. There was a total of five errors Friday night with the Broncos claiming three and the remaining two being credited to the Mountain Lions. Offensively, senior Matt McDermott led UCCS from the lead-off spot by going 3-for-6 with three RBI as seven of the nine Mountain Lions registered a hit in the contest.

Senior Daniel Silva got the game one start on the bump and went a full six innings with nine strikeouts as he only allowed one earned run off seven hits and one walk.

The first two innings were scoreless for both teams until the Mountain Lions broke the scoreless tie in the top of the third inning. Redshirt senior John Mallon got the inning started with a double down the right field line as a Matt Berg flyout advanced Mallon to third base. A strikeout followed the Berg flyout which setup McDermott in an RBI situation with two outs where the senior delivered for the 1-0 lead.

Heading into the bottom of the third, the Broncos answered right back with a run of their own as a lead-off hit led to a sacrifice fly later in the half inning to tie the game up at one.

Silva and the Mountain Lion defense were able to hold off the Broncos up to the fifth inning where UCCS recaptured the lead with a three-run inning. Evan Richards drew a walk to give UCCS their first baserunner, which then led to a single by Matt Clarke and a double by Jake Anderson to bring the score 2-1 in favor of UCCS. Catcher Ryan Schmidt then found the left center gap for an RBI double as Mallon topped off the inning with an RBI single to bring the score 4-1.

After Silva closed out the sixth inning recording two strikeouts, reliever Hayden Salverda came in to pitch an inning and two thirds where he gave up two hits and an earned run in the eighth inning. Junior Joseph Harris then came in to close the eighth inning out to take 4-2 lead into the top of the ninth. UCCS garnered an insurance run in the ninth after McDermott drove in Rumsey on an RBI single, bringing the score to 5-2.

In the ninth, CPP battled their way back to tie the game for the third time and send it to extra innings. A walk put their first runner on as a groundout to third base advanced the runner to second. The next batter singled down the right field line to bring their third run across and keep the Broncos' hopes alive. With one out and a runner on first, Cal Poly Pomona's Derek Marshall Jr. homered over the right center fence to bring the game even.

Both teams went through two extra innings of no runs across until UCCS took their fourth lead of the ballgame in the top half of the 12^th. McDermott hit a no doubt solo home run over left field to lift the score to 6-5, in favor of UCCS. But in the bottom 12^th the Broncos put the game away with a two-run single to take game one of the series.

UCCS Relief pitcher Dagin Renck was credited with the loss as the Broncos' Mathew Orozco receives the win.

The Mountain Lions' road series against Cal Poly Pomona continues Saturday, Feb. 8 with a double header as game one is set to begin at 1 p.m. (MT).