POMONA, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos baseball team was one out away from splitting Saturday's doubleheader at Cal Poly Pomona. Instead, frustrations continue for the Cougars as the Broncos rallied to take both ends of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) twinbill, 6-2 and 6-5, at Scolinos Field.
 
The Cougars held a 5-3 lead entering the bottom of the seventh of the nightcap, but the Broncos took advantage of a CSUSM miscue and balk to even the game at 5-5. CPP clinched the win on another CSUSM error with two outs in the eighth inning.
 
Senior Brandon Bentson, junior Colin Dvorak and sophomore Tyler Place each recorded three hits on the day.
 
CPP's Ryan Webberley and Jared James each tallied three hits and three runs.
 
The Cougars (10-13, 2-9 CCAA) close out the four-game series against the Broncos (14-6, 6-3 CCAA) on Saturday at CSUSM Baseball Field. First pitch is at noon.
 
Game 1: CPP 6 – CSUSM 2
The Broncos took a quick 3-0 lead after three innings with two of the runs unearned.
 
CSUSM got on the board on a RBI double by senior Jon Putnam after Place led off the fourth inning with a double.
 
CPP answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame to extend lead to 6-1.
 
The Cougars attempted a ninth-inning rally, but was only able to push one run across. Sophomore Riley Manquen hit a leadoff single to left field and advanced to second after senior Clinton Perez drew a walk. Senior L.A. Gamo hit a single up the middle, scoring Manquen.
 
Senior Emilio Esquibel (1-3) was handed the loss after giving up six runs – four earned – on nine hits after five innings on the mound. He registered five strikeouts and walked only one batter.
 
CPP's Max Bethell (2-2) went 8 1/3 innings, relinquishing two runs on six hits.
 
Game 2: CPP 6 – CSUSM 5 (8 inn.)
The Broncos once again got on the board after James hit his sixth home run of 2016 in the bottom of the third.
 
CSUSM quickly responded by posting two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings. Ott and Bentson got things started with back-to-back singles to lead off the fourth. Sophomore Austin Ott scored on Perez's single to right field. After a passed ball moved both runners 90 feet, Gamo laid down a safety squeeze enabling Bentson to cross the plate and give CSUSM its first lead of the day.
 
Junior Ross Lemmel drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on Manquen's sacrifice bunt to third base.  Place and Ott each singled to plate Lemmel. Bentson's single to left field loaded the bases. Perez sent a sacrifice fly to deep center field to extend CSUSM's lead to 4-2.
 
The Broncos scored two runs on three hits in the bottom half of the frame.
 
CSUSM scored an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Bentson drew a two-out walk and scored after Perez and Putnam put together consecutive singles.
 
The three runs CPP scored in the seventh and eighth inning were all unearned.
 
Senior Jordan Kunz (1-1) took the loss and CPP's closer Ryan Alsworth (1-1) collected the win.