Toros Split 2 Games With Poly Pomona : CCAA Baseball Race Remains Murky

Cal State Dominguez Hills’ standing in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. baseball race remained as murky as the conference standings Saturday thanks to a doubleheader split with Cal Poly Pomona.

The Toros, who lost at Pomona on Friday, will play again Tuesday at Pomona. Both are fighting for position in the CCAA, where the eight teams are separated by only a handful of games.

The split left the Toros at 6-6 in the CCAA and 11-15-1 overall. Pomona is 8-6 and 12-20.

Saturday afternoon in Carson, the Toros staged a late rally to pull out the first game, 8-7, but dropped the second game, 5-1.

Damon Neidlinger scored the first game’s winning run in the bottom of the ninth on a wild pitch by reliever David Rice. Neidlinger, who stole three bases in the game, had worked his way to third on a walk, steal and ground out.

Pomona played the game under protest. The Toros had taken a 4-3 lead in the sixth when Adrian Rodriguez doubled in Billy Keep, then scored on a dropped fly ball in center field. After rounding third, Rodriguez removed his batting helmet, then resumed running and scored. Pomona argued that the helmet removal was a rules violation. After checking the scorebook, the umpires let the play stand.

The ruling, however, appeared to be moot as the Broncos struck for three runs in the seventh, helped by a run-scoring fly dropped at the wall in left field and a passed ball that scored another.

The Toros got one run back in their half of the inning on Ruben Jauregui’s double that drove in a run, but Pomona answered with a run in the eighth to take a 7-5 lead.

Dominguez Hills started its rally in the bottom of the eighth with some unexpected help. With a man on, Fred Camarena hit a ground ball that deflected off the infield umpire for a single. Vic Fresca then tied the game with a two-run double, setting up the ninth-inning comeback.

Sophomore right-hander Charlie Plumley, who relieved starter Ron Veazey in the seventh, got his first victory. Pomona starter Scott Burns, who left after walking Neidlinger to open the ninth, took the loss.

Dave Haggard dueled Bret Lachemann, son of Angels coach Marcel Lachemann, in the seven-inning nightcap. Haggard had outstanding stuff but battled his control. Pomona got two runs in the first inning, helped by two walks and an error. Pomona scored another run in the fourth without touching the ball--four walks, three strikeouts.

Haggard finally tired in the seventh, when Pomona scored twice, and left the game with a six-hitter and seven strikeouts--plus eight walks and two hit batters. Lachemann, who was in command after the Toros scored in the first inning, threw a four-hitter, two of the hits by Jauregui.