POMONA, Calif. – A late offensive explosion by the No. 21 Cal Poly Pomona Broncos in the eighth inning kept the University of Colorado Colorado Springs baseball team from earning their first of the season. The Mountain Lions fell in game four of the series, 10-3, Sunday afternoon in Pomona, Calif.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
- Final: UCCS 3, #21 Cal Poly Pomona 10
- Records: UCCS (0-4, 0-0 RMAC) | CPP (4-0, 0-0 CCAA)
- Facility | Location: CPP Scolinos Field | Pomona, Calif.
- All-Time Series: The Broncos lead the all-time series, 14-9. Nineteen of the 23 games in the series have been played at Cal Poly Pomona.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Kit Wigington got the bats moving in the first inning when he collected his second hit of the season with a single down the middle of the field, but back-to-back fielders choice plays quickly ended the offensive start for UCCS. Batting in the home half of the inning, the first two batters for Cal Poly Pomona drilled two straight doubles for the first run of the game and a 1-0 CPP lead.
- UCCS responded to match CPP's run in the second inning. Brad Madison lined a single through the right side before Evan Steinberger drew a walk. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch leading to a Macully Sehr RBI that plated Madison.
- For the second straight inning the Broncos regained the lead. The defensive unit for the Mountain Lions punched out the first two outs but a throwing error proved costly as an unearned run crossed the plate for a 2-1 Broncos lead after two complete innings.
- Both teams retired all three batters in each half of the third inning but the bases heated up in the fourth inning. Kasey Campbell singled to centerfield and he was quickly joined by Steinberger and Sehr who reached base on walks, but the Broncos defense caught a foul ball to end the inning, stranding three Mountain Lions in the process. CPP checked in their third run in four innings as Jordan Ku stretched a hit into a triple. The following batter, Johnny Pappas, put down a RBI single to center field that scored Ku for a two-run CPP lead, 3-1.
- The Mountain Lions cut into the Broncos lead in the fifth inning. With one out and Aaron Brakel and Caleb Stubbings on first and second, the Broncos made a pitching change. Keegan Sueltz welcomed CPP's new pitcher, Eric Romo, to the mound with an RBI single as Brakel's run brought UCCS within one run, 3-2. A throwing error by the Mountain Lions in the bottom of the fifth inning resulted in an unearned run for the Broncos who brought their lead back to two runs, 4-2.
- The sixth inning started off with the first three Mountain Lions reaching base. With no outs and the bases loaded, CPP swiftly turned a double play as Madison crossed home plate for the fourth and final UCCS score.
- The Mountain Lions defense held the Broncos to one hit in the sixth and seventh innings. Trailing by just one run, 4-3, the Mountain Lions were unable to overcome a four-hit, six-run scoreline in the eighth inning, falling to the Broncos, 10-3.
GAME STATISTICS
- Marko Sipila earned the decision after working 4.2 innings on the bump, surrendering two earned runs on seven hits and striking out three batters.Six Mountain Lions recorded a hit with Madison registering a team high two hits.
- Brakel went 1-for-5 with one run scored as Wigington, Sueltz, Campbell and Steinberger each collected a hit.
- UCCS left nine runners on the bags as the Broncos stranded eight.
- Christopher Bryant put in a solid performance, allowing just one hit and fanning two batters without allowing a run in 2.1 innings.
- Jon Sotto and Garrett Shriver combined to throw the seventh inning, allowing six runs on four hits and walking four batters.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Madison has posted multiple hits in the last three games. He leads the Mountain Lions in batting average with a .429 mark (6-of-14) and a team high six total bases to go with his two runs scored and RBI.
- Leading the pitching unit is Sipila. After today's performance, Sipila owns a 3.86 ERA in 4.2 innings pitched, allowing only two earned runs on seven hits and sitting down three batters.
- UCCS drew a season high five walks today. The seven hits at the plate are the second most this year.
UP NEXT
- UCCS will return to Mountain Lion Park to open the home season Feb. 10-12 against San Francisco State University. First pitch goes out at 2 p.m. on Friday.
SOCIAL
Twitter - @GoMountainLions
Instagram - @gomountainlions
Facebook – Go Mountain Lions
As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 16 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
