TURLOCK — The Warriors came up just short, twice, on Saturday in a pair of one-run defeats as Cal Poly Pomona did just enough to hang-on for a doubleheader sweep.
Two long fly outs in the bottom of the ninth resulted in a Stan State rallied that ended with two runs in a 10-9 loss. Then Pomona's Tim Holdgrafer threw a three-hitter in the nightcap for a 2-1, seven-inning game.
The heartbreaker losses meant the Warriors dropped to 21-22 overall and 17-20 in the CCAA as their postseason hopes diminishes. Cal Poly Pomona improved to 22-19 overall and 19-16 CCAA as the Broncos move up to fifth place in the standings.
John Holleran went 3-for-5 with three runs batted in in game one and added a hit in the nightcap for a four-hit day.
Trailing 9-1 in the first game, the Warriors came back. First it was a five-run fifth inning — all of them unearned runs. Holleran had the biggest hit in the inning with a three-run triple to left-center field that scored
Braeden Oki,
Michael Wyatt and
Jack Large. Wyatt and Large had just walked ahead of Holleran.
Jarrett Veiga drove in Holleran with a single to cap the rally.
The Warriors tagged on another run in the sixth on a RBI single by Large to make it 9-7. However, the Broncos tagged on the ever-important insurance run in the top of the ninth for a 10-7 lead. As it turned out, that was the difference as Stan State got two runs in its last at-bats before coming up short.
In that ninth inning, Veiga took a drive high and deep to left, but was caught by Cesar Lopez.
Anthony Enwiya also hit a drive hard to deep left-center that came up just short. Enwiya, who hit a solo homer in the third, did drive in Holleran with the sac fly.
Brandon De La Guardia singled up the middle to score
Andrew Wheat, but
Vinny Margiotta pop-out to right to end the game.
Stanislaus used six pitchers in the game — nine in the doubleheader.
In the nightcap, the Warriors had just three hits against Holdgrafer. He threw the seven inning complete game and gave up one unearned run with three strikeouts.
The Warriors' lone run came in the second on a throwing error by Pomona's second baseman Bryce Graddy trying to double-up a runner at second base after a line-out. Holleran scored on the play.
