2001 CCAA Baseball Championship

Schedule and Results:

Thursday, May 10:
Game 1: #4 Cal Poly Pomona 13, #1 Sonoma State 12
Game 2: #3 CSU San Bernardino 10, #2 Chico State 8

Friday, May 11
Game 3: Sonoma State 17, Chico State 5
Game 4: CSU San Bernardino 4, Cal Poly Pomona 3
Game 5: Sonoma State 12, Cal Poly Pomona 3

Saturday, May 12
Game 6: Sonoma State 10, CSU San Bernardino 3
Game 7: Sonoma State 10, CSU San Bernardino 3

Game 7: Sonoma State claims 2nd CCAA title in three years
Game seven boxscore

Regular-season champion Sonoma State, a loser in the opening game of the CCAA Championship Tournament, completed its rebound with a pair of wins against CSU San Bernardino Saturday to claim its second CCAA title in three years.

The Cossacks beat San Bernardino 10-3 in the day's first game, forcing a seventh and decisive game, and then won the second game 10-3 to earn the title.

Tournament MVP Fehlandt Lentini scored three times and knocked in a run in the nightcap as Sonoma State improved to 47-15 on the season and likely locked down a bid in next weekend's Western Regional, the winner of which will earn a trip to the NCAA Division II World Series. The regional field and location will be announced Sunday afternoon.

San Bernardino fell to 33-19-1 on the season.

Sonoma State, which finished the tournament with 61 runs in five games, trailed 3-2 early on in the second game. But the Cossacks took the lead for good in the fourth inning when Andy Weber and Ryan Johnston hit back-to-back run-scoring singles with two down.

The Cossacks built on that lead with Allen Marshall's RBI-single in the fifth and his two-run homer in the seventh. Josh Bell (4-0) picked up the win in relief, scattering five hits in four innings of work. Tony Graf pitched the final three innings to earn his 13th save of the season.

Anthony Evans took the loss for San Bernardino, allowing six hits and five runs, all of them earned, in four-plus innings of work. Brandon Thomas paced the Coyotes with three hits and Matt Swaydan banged out two.

For Sonoma, Marshall finished with three hits as did Joe Nouguier. Lentini and Weber each collected two hits.

All-Tournament Team
P-Ian Keene, SSU
P-Steve Kaustinen, CPP
C-Ryan Johnston, SSU
1B-Andy Weber, SSU
2B-Brian Stream, SSU
3B-Brandon Thomas, SBSU
SS-Nick Garcia, SBSU
OF-Fehlandt Lentini, SSU
OF-Robert Galvan, SBSU
OF-Justin Davis, CPP
DH-Mike Richardson, SSU
At Large-Joe Nouguier, 3B, SSU
MVP-Lentini (12x23, 13 runs, 7 SB, 5 RBI, .593 OB% (16x27))

Game 6: Sonoma State forces game seven
Game six boxscore

Sonoma State starter Brad Chambers and reliever Scot Ovard combined on a four-hitter and the Sonoma State offense continued it assault as the Cossacks won their third straight game to force a seventh and final game in the CCAA Championship Tournament Saturday. Sonoma beat CSU San Bernardino, who entered the championship game undefeated, 10-3.

The Cossacks, now 46-15 overall and winners of 10 of their last 11 games, have now scored 51 runs in four games. Saturday Mike Richardson was the offensive hero, blasting a fifth-inning grand slam to break the game wide open.

CSU San Bernardino (33-18-1), which won its first two games of the tournament, never got on track offensively. Chambers, who improved to 6-3 on the season, held the Coyotes to three hits and two runs, one of which was earned. Ovard then came on to pitch the last two innings, surrendering just one hit and one unearned run.

Meanwhile, Sonoma continued its torrid hitting as four different Cossacks banged out two hits apiece. The Cossacks blew the game open with five runs in the third inning. Fehlandt Lentini, Brian Stream, Joe Nouguier, and Mike Richardson knocked in runs in the frame and Allen Marshall added a solo shot.

The Cossacks put it away in the fifth thanks to Richardson's grand slam

Game 5: Sonoma State rips Pomona to stay alive
Game five boxscore

Sonoma State survived an elimination game for the second time in a day with a 12-3 victory over Cal Poly Pomona Friday, ending the Broncos' season in the CCAA Championship Baseball Tournament.

Sonoma State must win two more games against CSU San Bernardino to claim the tournament title Saturday. The first game is scheduled to start at noon. If the Cossacks win that game, another game will follow 45 minutes later to decide the championship. If San Bernardino wins the first or the second game, it will win the title.

Sonoma State improved to 45-15 with the win, its ninth in the last 10 games. Pomona finished the season with a mark of 31-24.

Friday night's game was close until the last two innings, and Pomona actually led 3-0 early on. But a five-run eighth inning salted the game away for Sonoma. Ian Keene picked up the victory for the Cossacks, tossing a complete-game while surrendering eight hits and three runs, only one of which was earned. He improved to 6-4 on the season. Pomona's Tony Ortiz absorbed the loss, allowing eight runs, six of them earned, in seven-plus innings of work.

Pomona opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when Daniel Bobadilla scored on Justin Davis' groundout. The Broncos added two more runs in the second thanks to three Sonoma State errors to make it 3-0.

But the Cossacks tied the game with a trio of runs in the fourth. Brent Smith's two-run double was the key hit in the frame and Andy Weber drove in another run with a ground ball.

In the fifth the Cossacks took the lead for good when Mike Richardson singled to bring home Fehlandt Lentini.

In the eighth Sonoma State put the game away with five more runs thanks, in part, to three Pomona errors. Ryan Souza and Lentini knocked in runs in the inning.

And the Cossacks added three insurance runs in the ninth with a two-run triple by Weber and a run-scoring sacrifice fly by Souza.

Game 4: San Bernardino is only unbeaten team remaining
Game four boxscore

CSU San Bernardino moved to within one game of the CCAA Baseball Championship title with a 4-3 victory over Cal Poly Pomona Friday. Four different Coyote hitters knocked in a run apiece and starter Joel Porres surrendered just three runs in six-plus innings of work to key the victory.

Daniel Bobadilla knocked in a pair of runs for Pomona but the Broncos, now a loss away from elimination, face Sonoma State tonight at 7 p.m. The winner will have to beat San Bernardino twice Saturday to claim the title.

San Bernardino improved to 33-17-1 and Cal Poly Pomona dipped to 31-23.

Pomona opened the scoring on Ryan Vorell's RBI single in the fourth. But San Bernardino took the lead for good with three runs in the fifth. Brandon Thomas singled to open the inning and eventually came around to score on Robert Galvan's single. Matt Swaydan gave San Bernardino its first lead with a run-scoring sacrifice fly, and Galvan came around to score on Brian Schweiger's base hit.

San Bernardino added a run in the sixth when Chris McAllen scored on Keith Haughn's fielders' choice to make it 4-1. Pomona mounted a comeback with a pair of runs in the seventh on Daniel Bobadilla's two-run single, but San Bernardino closer Brian Hammer closed the door in the ninth by striking out the first two batters he faced and inducing a weak grounder to end the game and pick up his team-high 11th save of the season.

Game 3: Sonoma State ends Chico's season with 17-5 drubbing
Game three boxscore

Sonoma State stayed alive in the CCAA Championship Tournament's first elimination game by exploding for nine runs in the first inning en route to a 17-5 smashing of tournament host Chico State Friday.

The loss almost assures that Chico State (35-16) will not earn a bid to the West Regional for the first time in five years.

Sonoma State (44-15), the top seed in the tournament and top-ranked team in the West Region, will take on the loser of today's Cal Poly Pomona-San Bernardino game tonight at 7 p.m.

Led by Andy Weber's five RBI and three apiece by Brian Stream, Mike Richardson, and Brent Smith, Sonoma State struck early and often Friday. Chico State starter Israel Torres (3-3) walked the first four batters he faced to open the inning and Weber, Richardson, and Ryan Johnston banged out two-run hits to help the Cossacks build a 9-0 lead.

Smith's two-run single keyed a three-run rally in the third inning to make it 12-0, and the Cossacks added a pair of runs in the fifth before the Wildcats could finally get on the board in the sixth.

Sonoma State starter Aaron Parker picked up the win to improve to 11-1 on the season. He tossed eight innings, allowing six hits and five runs, four of them earned. Torres (3-3) took the loss for Chico.

Game 2: San Bernardino makes it a sweep for underdogs
Game two boxscore

After watching an 8-0 lead evaporate, Cal State San Bernardino's Brian Schweiger doubled home Matt Swaydan to break an 8-8 deadlock and help lift the third-seeded Coyotes to a 10-8 victory over tournament host and two-seed Chico State.

San Bernadino (32-17-1) will face fourth-seeded Cal Poly Pomona Friday at 3 p.m. with the first berth in Saturday's title tilt on the line. Chico State (36-14), losers of straight, face top-seeded Sonoma State at 11 a.m. in an elimination game. The winner will play again Friday at 7 p.m. against the San Bernardino-Pomona loser. Earlier in the day, Pomona hit six home runs to beat Sonoma State 13-12.

In the nightcap, Pomona built an 8-0 advantage with four runs in the third and four more in the fourth, mostly at the expense of Wildcats starter Teddy Sutton, who allowed five runs and seven hits in three-plus innings of work. Swaydan's two-run double was the big hit in the third inning and Nick Garcia's two-run double in the fourth keyed that effort.

The Wildcats battled back, however, sparked by Ryan Webb's two-run single in the fourth. They followed up that effort with five consecutive hits in the fifth, leading to five more runs. Chico State knotted the score in the sixth on pinch hitter Brandon Voorhees' fielders' choice.

San Bernardino had an answer though, with Schweiger's key hit, and the Coyotes added an insurance run in the ninth on Rene Leon's solo home run.

Game 1: Pomona upsets number one seed Sonoma in opening game
Game one boxscore

The long ball made the difference for the long shot in the opening game of the CCAA Championship Tournament Thursday.

With the wind blowing out, fourth-seeded Cal Pomona banged out six home runs en route to a 13-12 victory over top-seeded Sonoma State. The Broncos, now 31-22, will take on the winner of Friday night's late game between Chico State and San Bernardino State Friday at 3 p.m. Sonoma State (43-15) will face the loser in an elimination game at 11 a.m.

Jeffrey Ellena and Chris Fusillo each homered twice and drove in four runs for Pomona, which has now won three straight games. Ryan Vorell crushed a three-run homer and Justin Davis hit a solo shot.

Brian Stream, Andy Weber and Mike Richardson each homered for Sonoma State, which had its seven-game winning streak snapped.

Donnie Furnald collected the win for Pomona, tossing seven innings while allowing nine hits and nine runs, all of them earned. He's now 10-3. Mark Schaukowitch absorbed the loss for Sonoma State. In 5-plus innings he surrendered eight runs, five of them earned, on nine hits.

Pomona jumped out to an early lead with a pair of runs in the second and three more in the third. Vorell led off the second with a double and scored on Fusillo's two-run blast. In the third, Vorell's three-run homer made it 5-0. But Sonoma bounced back with seven runs in the fourth, highlighted by Fehlandt Lentini's three-run double and Stream's two-run homer.

Pomona retook the lead for good in the sixth as Ellena and Davis hit back-to-back homers to key a five-run inning. Sonoma battled back to cut the lead to 13-12. But with two outs in the ninth, Pomona reliever Kevin Waldinger got Ryan Johnston to fly out to shallow center field to end the game.

Pomona upset then top-seeded Chico State in the opener of last season's CCAA Championship Tournament and advanced to the title game before falling to Chico State twice.