POMONA -- The Warriors were seeing flashbacks Friday, as the Broncos of Cal Poly Pomona eeked out a 7-6 win in a back-and-forth battle at Scolinos Field to push the Warriors against the wall in the race for the final CCAA Championship Tournament spot.
Senior A.J. Cavaletto led Cal Poly Pomona Friday with a 2-for-4 effort and three RBIs and closer Sean Hunter secured the win with two innings of scoreless relief. It was the Broncos who ended any hopes the Warriors had of making the playoffs in 2006.
The Broncos improved to 16-28 overall and 13-18 in CCAA play, while the Warriors fell to 33-19 and 21-12. The Warriors' loss, coupled with a 16-3 Cal State LA victory over San Francisco State now leaves the Warriors just 1/2 game ahead of the Golden Eagles for the final spot in the CCAA Championship Tournament, to be played next week.
Bronco starter Ryan Screnar gave his team seven solid innings as he struck out six batters, walked one and scattered nine hits. He allowed six runs – five earned – and improved to 3-2 on the season.
Cal State Stanislaus grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first on Dennis Wolfe's two-out solo homer to left, his third of the season. The Broncos answered off Warrior starter Eric Federico in their first initial at-bat with three runs. Senior Kyle Boggio led off with a single, junior Chris Brehm drew a one-out walk and senior John Daniels drove in Boggio with a single. Cavaletto then singled up the middle and scored both Brehm and Daniels.
Sophomore David Contreras sturggled in the field Friday with two errors, but he hit a solo homer in the third for the Warriors and his team later tied the game at 3-3 with an unearned run in the fourth.
Cal Poly Pomona would answer back in its at-bat in the fourth. Boggio reached base on an error by the Contreras and senior Andres Fernandez and freshman Joe Villa both scored and the Broncos led 5-3.
The Warriors tied the game at 5-5 in the fifth. Jake Oketani's RBI-single scored Contreras and Jacob Thelen's sacrifice fly to center scored Wolfe, who singled. Josh Potter put the Broncos back on top in the fifth with a fielder's choice that scored Daniels, who led off the inning with a double.
The Warriors tied the game at 6-6 in the seventh as Wolfe hit a one-out triple and and scored on Oketani's sacrifice fly to right.
But the Broncos grabbed the lead for good in the seventh. Cavaletto earned his third RBI of the day with a one-out single that scored Daniels, who reached on base.
Hunter was effective in relief. He set the Warriors down in order in the eighth, but the ninth was interesting.
He forced lead-off pinch-hitter Dante Palacio to ground out to second, but gave up a double to Kyle Loretelli. After a walk to Contreras, Hunter struck out Wolfe looking setting up the play of the game.
Oketani laced a shot to the right-hand side of shortstop Joe Villa, who looked to get the force at second. When he couldn't make the play, he then stepped forward and threw to catcher Andres Fernandez, who was able to put the tag on Loretelli to end the game.
The two teams return to Scolinos Field at 12 p.m . Saturday with a doubleheader.
