Box Score WALNUT, Calif. – Winning the NCAA west regional championship in their initial attempt just got a bit more difficult.
After winning their first two games in convincing fashion, Azusa Pacific's offense was held in-check as Cal Poly Pomona posted a 6-2 win on Saturday evening.
The Cougars will get Sunday off before returning to the diamond late Monday morning. They will face UC San Diego for the second time in the tournament in an elimination game at 11 a.m. The winner of that contest will play Cal Poly Pomona for the region title, and the right to advance to the College World Series, at 3:00 p.m.
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In his second career start, and first of 2015, Michael Koval earned the win by going 7.2 innings where he struck out four and scattered eight hits on 110 pitches.
"Koval did a great job in his first start. Like I said the other day, baseball is a whacky game. Here's a guy who shut us down but I thought we had good at-bats," head coach Paul Svagdis said. "I thought we battled and when the top two seeds play that is what should happen. Neither team backed down tonight."
The Cougars were held without an extra base hit for the first time in 17 games. Their nine hits marked the first time in the last three games they were held to less than 10 hits.
Azusa Pacific, serving as the visiting team for the first time in the regional, struck first when Pablo O'Connor scored on a groundout by Adrian Tovalin in the second inning. In the bottom half of the frame, Michael Munoz hit the regional's fourth homerun with a solo shot to rightfield. The Broncos went ahead 3-1 as Christian Kelly knocked home Ryan Webberley and Jacob Bernardy with a two-out single to right centerfield.
The Cougars threatened in the fourth inning as they put runners on 1st and 2nd with two-outs. Joe Huthsing hit a routine ground ball to second base but, Nick Cooksey let the ball go between his legs which allowed O'Connor to score the unearned run. Cal Poly Pomona added to their 3-2 lead in the fifth inning when Mike Philip ended a 0-for-12 regional with a double to right centerfield with one out to score Webberley and Michael Zidek.
In the sixth stanza the Broncos upped their to 6-2 when Michael Munoz hit 0-2 pitch with two out just past the diving reach of second baseman Blake James. Christian Kelley scored from second on the base knock off Azusa Pacific reliever Trent Thompson.
The Cougars couldn't crack Koval in the fifth through seventh innings as they didn't get a runner into scoring position. However in the eighth inning they chased Koval as O'Connor and Michael Staudinger reached base with two outs. Reliever J.J. Franklin walked Tovalin to load the bases put worked out of the jam when he got Joe Huthsing to pop out to second base.
During their final at-bats the Cougars sent the top of line-up to plate. After a fly-out by Mitch Dergazarian, James singled to rightfield then Daniel Martin got hit by a pitch to start the scoring opportunity. The Broncos went to the bullpen as lefthander Max Bethell got Jordan Brower to fly out to centerfield and Ryan Santana swinging after an eight-pitch at-bat.
Cal Poly Pomona's offense was paced by Kelley's three-hit evening. The catcher also drove home two while scoring once. Munoz and Philip also posted two RBI games.
