Air Force Academy
Utah
Utes blank Falcons, 7-0
5/9/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 9, 2003
Utah ended a seven-game losing streak, defeating Air Force 7-0 in a Mountain West Conference baseball game Friday, May 9, at Franklin Covey Field. The Utes improve to 20-27 on the year and 7-17 in Mountain West Conference play. Air Force fell to 13-33 overall and 1-23 in the MWC.
Ute sophomore Clay Westmoreland (5-5) pitched the complete-game shutout, giving up just four hits. He walked one batter and struck out four. Falcon freshman Paul Vignola took the loss. He went six innings and allowed seven runs on 12 hits with one strikeout and four walks.
Utah struck first in the bottom of the second, when Mike Basham singled, driving in Tyler Kmetko. In the third, Wick Udy hit a solo home run to right field to put Utah up 2-0.
The Utes extended their lead to 4-0 with two runs in the fourth. Basham drove in a run with a triple and the other came across on an RBI-single by Jared Pena.
After two and a half scoreless innings, Utah strung together three base hits, including an RBI-single by junior Cort Wilson. Kmetko was then intentionally walked, loading the bases. After a pitching change and two Utah strikeouts, Pena singled up the middle, driving in two more runs for a seven-run lead.
Pena went 3-for-4 on the day with three RBI, while Mike Westfall was 3-for-5. Udy finished 2-for-5 with two runs and one RBI.
Adam Howes collected two of Air Force's four hits on the day. Josh Phifer and Nick Liegl each had one hit. The four hits equaled a season-low for the Falcons.
The Utes and Falcons play a doubleheader on Saturday, May 10, at noon. The series concludes with a single game on Sunday, May, 11.
