MidValleySports.Com

Not much run support for Cougar starter Jacob Cage.

By Tim Peterson

(Mazmanian Field- Mt. San Antonio College) – Michel Koval pitched seven and two-thirds innings, allowed just one earned run and scattered eight hits as Cal Poly Pomona slowed down Azusa Pacific 6-2 Saturday night at Mazmanian Field in the NCAA Division II West Regional Playoffs.

Koval, in only his second career start, struck out four while throwing 110 pitches. He cooled off a Cougar team that came into the game having scored 31 runs in the first two games of the tournament.

“Koval did a good job. He really came after us and battled. I mean he comes in here and in his first start of the season shuts us down. He really competed,” said Azusa Pacific Coach Paul Svagdis. “But I thought we had some good at bats. I thought we battled and when the top two seeds play that is what should happen. Neither team backed own tonight.”

Pomona did most of its damage offensively in the second inning scoring three times to take a 3-1 lead. In the inning, Matt Munoz jumped on a Jacob Gage fastball and parked it over the fence in right field to tie the game. Then after loading the bases, Christian Kelley ripped a base hit to drive in two. That turned out to be all Cal Poly needed to get the win.

The Cougars got a run in the first when Pablo O’Connor singled and worked his way around to score on a ground ball by Adrian Tovalin. The Cougars added another in the fourth on a hit, a walk and an error to cut the lead to 3-2.

The Broncos put it away with two more in the fifth and one in the sixth. Munoz, from West Covina, finished with two hits and two RBI. Kelley went three for four with a pair of ribbies.

Cage went five innings for APU. He allowed five runs and nine hits with three strikeouts and three walks. Trent Thompson pitched an inning, Billy Sanford and Jonathan Velasco finished up.

APU had nine hits overall but couldn’t come up with the one that counted. They loaded the bases in the ninth but were unable to cash in.

Azusa Pacific will now play UC San Diego Monday at 11:00 am.

“We’re excited to still be playing Monday. There are a lot of good teams in this tournament and we’ll be playing San Diego, another good team,” Svagdis said.

AP 0  1  0  1  0  0  0  0  0     2  9  1

CP 0  3  0  0  2  1  0  0  –     6  12  2