Falcons Battle, But Lose Both Games Of Doubleheader To UNLV

May 1, 2004

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. - Despite solid pitching efforts by Clayton Couch and Mitch Brown, the Air Force baseball team lost both games of a doubleheader to UNLV, falling 4-2 in game one and 7-5 in game two, in a pair of unusually low scoring games Saturday at Falcon Field. The Falcons fall to 5-32 on the season and 0-13 in Mountain West Conference play. UNLV improves to 27-16, 14-5 MWC.

In game one, UNLV ace David Seccombe outlasted Air Force ace Clayton Couch in a pitchers duel at Falcon Field. After allowing two runs in the first inning, Seccombe was nearly unhittable, as he retired 20 consecutive Falcon batters to improve to 7-1 on the season in the complete game three-hitter. Couch took a tough loss (2-4) as he allowed just two earned runs on four hits in a career-high 7.1 innings of work.

In game two, Eric Nielsen's fifth inning grand slam proved to be the difference in a 7-5 Rebel win. Mitch Brown (0-4) took the loss for the Falcons, allowing six runs while fanning four in a career-high seven innings pitched. UNLV starter Jake Vose improved to 7-3 on the season, allowing three runs while fanning seven in six innings. Ben Scheinbaum pitched the final three innings for the Rebels to pick up his second save of the season.

The Falcons got to work right off the bat in the first game, scoring a pair of runs of Seccombe in the first inning. Matt Musser scored the first run on a throwing error by second baseman Ryan Kowalski on Brent Tittle's grounder. Tittle then scored the second run on Travis Fugler's single to right center.

UNLV tied the game in the third inning with a pair of RBI-singles by Eric Nielsen and Brad Ross. The Rebels then went ahead 3-2 as Andrew De'Angelo scored on Ross's fielders choice. UNLV added a run in the eighth on a passed ball. The Rebels had 10 hits in the first game with Nielsen and Zeke Parraz each getting three hits.

After Fugler's single with two outs in the first, Seccombe did not allow a hit till the eighth inning when Nathan DeRohan singled with one out. Josh Wolfram doubled off the fence in right-center to leadoff the ninth for the Falcons' third hit.

UNLV took an early 1-0 lead in the second game, scoring a run in the second. The Falcons came back and tied the game on Karl Bolt's leadoff home run in the fourth to make it a 1-1 game.

The Rebels came back in the fifth as Nielsen struck with the grand slam to put UNLV up 5-1. The Falcons chipped away at the deficit, scoring four runs in the next three innings, but the Rebels also scored runs in the seventh and eighth innings to stay ahead.

Parraz homered in the eighth for UNLV and Jonathan Stralka hit his first career home run as a Falcon in the fifth inning.

UNLV had 11 hits in the second game, with Parraz getting three more hits to go 6-for-7 on the day. The Falcons had 10 hits, with Reid Lamson, Bolt, Colton Walter and Zach Reimer recording two hits apiece.

Game One Notes: Couch pitched a career and team-high 7.1 innings... Jon Polston went 0-for-2 to snap his seven game hitting streak.

Game Two Notes: Freshman Zach Reimer made his first career start for the Falcons... Brown pitched a career-high seven innings.

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