Air Force Academy
Hastings College (DH)
Falcons sweep Hastings, 3-1 and 17-6
2/9/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 9, 2003
In two completely different games, Air Force swept a doubleheader from Hastings College, 3-1 and 17-6, at the Air Force Academy's Falcon Field. Air Force won all three games in the series.
The wins lifted Air Force's record to 4-2 overall. The visitors from Nebraska fell to 0-3 on the season.
In the first game, Falcon freshman pitcher Paul Vignola carried a perfect game into the fifth inning and threw a five-hitter in leading the Falcons to a 3-1 win. His first seven pitches were strikes as he fanned a career-high six hitters with no walks. Neither team had a base-runner until the fourth inning when AFA second baseman Zach McAnguss was hit by pitch. Josh Phifer's double drove in McAnguss with the game's first run. Hastings tied the game in the sixth when Danny Huston doubled to right field and then scored on Ryan Neel's single. Air Force took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth. McAnguss led off the inning with a double and then scored on Phifer's single. Phifer came around to score on Shockley's double to right field.
Senior Jason Pruitt picked up his first save of the season as he pitched the seventh and allowed just one hit with two strikeouts. Phifer led the Falcons with two hits and two RBI. Hastings starter Brandon Borkowski threw three perfect innings with two strikeouts. He was replaced in the top of the fourth by Ryan Weber. Tyler Gentry took the loss. He pitched the sixth and allowed two runs on three hits.
After a pitching and defensive duel in game one, the teams showed off their offense in the second game with a combined 23 runs, 28 hits and seven errors.
The Falcons scored two runs in the first inning on two Hastings errors, a passed ball and an RBI single by Bowie Frost. Hastings scored two in the third to tie the game at 3-3. The Falcons committed two errors in the inning, but held the Broncos to two runs. Hastings had two infield hits in the inning and had the bases loaded with no outs. The Falcons turned a double play and then ended the inning with a fly ball to center field. Frost's two-run homer in the third keyed a four-run inning and the Falcons had a 7-3 advantage. Hastings answered with two in the top of the fourth on three singles, two walks and a Falcon error.
Air Force broke the game open with seven runs on six hits in the fourth inning. The Falcons sent 11 batters to the plate. Phifer hit a two-run double and pinch-hitter Derck Kasel put the game out of reach with a two-out, two-run triple. Senior Scott Mears picked up the win in relief. Starter Clayton Couch threw three innings and gave up five runs, two earned, on nine hits. Mears pitched one scoreless inning with two strikeouts. Huston, who came on in relief of starter Scott Lyons, took the loss. He pitched one inning and gave up four earned runs on four hits.
Air Force is on the road for the next nine games. The Falcons travel to Cedar City, Utah for a three-game non-conference series with Southern Utah, Feb. 14-15. The teams play a single game on Friday at 1 p.m and a doubleheader on Saturday at 11 a.m.
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