Cal Poly’s baseball team dropped three straight games to Chico State before rallying to win the final game of the series in 10 innings
The Cal Poly baseball team played a four-game series against CCAA rival Chico State last week. It lost the first three games 22-4, 13-10, and 4-3, respectively.
The Broncos took the final game of the series 7-5 in 10 innings.
The Broncos are now 6-6 against CCAA teams and 12-9 overall.
They are tied for fifth place with Cal State Stanislaus and Cal State LA.
They are behind UC San Diego, Cal State San Bernardino, Chico State, and Cal State Dominguez Hills.
The last game of the series was a 10-inning thriller that ended in a 7-5 score with the Broncos on top.
Senior third baseman Richard McDowell got hit by a pitch in the sixth inning, and later scored.
In the next inning, senior shortstop Erik Riedel hit a two-RBI single, which scored both senior left fielder Manny Navarro and senior right fielder Robert Palmer.
Both Navarro and Palmer scored again in the top of the ninth to tie the game.
After the Wildcats failed to score in the bottom of the ninth, the game went into extra innings. In the top of the 10th, junior pinch hitter Tyson Edwards came to the plate, and pounded a two-run game-winning home run over the right-field wall.
The first game of the series on Friday was all Chico State, who won 22-4. The highlight of this game was senior first baseman Nick Tanos’ two-run homer in the first inning.
Both games of Saturday’s doubleheader were a lot closer, but ended with the same result: a loss for the Broncos.
Despite losing by three in the 13-10 opener of the doubleheader, the Broncos had many notable highlights including a solo home run by Navarro and a three-run homer by junior center fielder Travis Taijeron.
Both of these homers occurred during a seven-run third inning by the Broncos.
However, the Broncos were overpowered by the Wildcats, who scored two runs in the bottom of the third inning, two more in the fifth, and retook the lead with seven runs in the sixth.
McDowell also gave a noteworthy performance, going 2-for-3 and contributed three RBIs.
Saturday’s doubleheader closer also had its share of performances worth noting.
Back-to-back home runs in the top of the sixth by Taijeron and sophomore first baseman Jenzen Torres brought the Broncos to within a run of the Wildcats.
Despite the giving up four runs in the loss, sophomore pitcher Geoff Broussard stuck out four and walked one.
The Broncos return home this weekend to begin a four-game series against the San Francisco State Gators.
They play one game on both Friday and Sunday, and a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m.
Reach Erik Carr at: sports@thepolypost.com
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