Air Force Academy
Metro State
Falcons hold off Metro State, 11-9
4/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 22, 2003
Air Force built and early lead and then held off Metro State for an 11-9 win in a non-conference baseball game Tuesday, April 22, at Falcon Field. The game was stopped entering the bottom of the sixth inning due to rain, lightning and hail.
Air Force, 12-26 overall, got on the board first on Dan Petro's three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning. Adam Howes led off the inning with a double and Josh Phifer walked. The Falcons built a 6-0 lead in the second inning. Bowie Frost and Zach McAngus singled in the inning and Adam Howes reached base when Metro leftfielder John Burney misplayed a fly ball.
Air Force starter Jason Brown, a freshman from Arvada, Colo., held the Roadrunners scoreless in the first three innings on just one hit. Metro scored four in the fourth to make the score 7-4. Clint Cleland and Brian Edwards hit solo home runs and James Edwards and Ricky Fuller each scored in the inning to cut the AFA lead to 7-4.
Metro State, 22-20 overall, scored five in the top of the fifth off of Falcon reliever Jesper Stubbendorff. James Edwards and Fuller each had RBI-singles and John Burney hit a three-run home run. Falcon third-baseman Bowie Frost hit a solo home run to center field in the bottom of the fifth. Metro State cut the Falcon lead to 11-10 in the top of the sixth, but since the game was halted, the score reverts back to the last full inning played per NCAA rules.
Petro was just a single shy of hitting for the cycle. He went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and six RBI. Frost was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. James Edwards led the Roadrunners, going 3-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Each team had nine hits in the game. Brown earned the win, going four innings in a predetermined rotation. He allowed four runs on five hits with one strikeout and four walks. Mark Held took the loss, going two innings and allowing six runs, three earned, on four hits.
Air Force hosts a three-game MWC series against San Diego State, Friday-Sunday, April 25-27, at Falcon Field. Friday's first pitch is at 2 p.m. while Saturday and Sunday's games start at 1 p.m.
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