Air Force Academy
UNLV
Truesdale Tosses Gem In 10-1 Win Over UNLV
5/15/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 15, 2008
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. - Alex Truesdale tossed a complete game eight-hitter, while three home runs lifted Air Force to a convincing 10-1 win over UNLV in Mountain West Conference baseball action Thursday afternoon at Falcon Field. The win, arguably Air Force's most impressive of the season, improves the Falcons to 17-32, 3-19 and dropped the Rebels to 20-34, 8-14.
Truesdale (3-6) pitched his second complete game of the season, striking out a career-high eight batters. This was the sophomore right-handers' sixth-consecutive start where he has pitched into the eighth inning or better. He has struck out 27 batters in his last four outings.
Truesdale's only blemish on the day was a solo home run given up to Xavier Scruggs in the fourth inning. It was Scruggs' conference-leading 20th homer of the season.
Air Force had 14 hits on the day, with Addison Gentry, Josh Meents and Nathan Carter hitting home runs. Carter was 3-for-3 on the day, reaching base all five times up. He missed hitting for the cycle by a double, while scoring three runs. He hit his eighth triple of the season, which now ties him for second all-time in a season at Air Force.
Gentry went 2-for-4 on the day with his sixth homer of the season and his 18th double. The 18 doubles is tied for 11th in a season at Air Force. Meents connected for his second long-ball of the season, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
Matt Alexander also had a solid day at the plate for the Falcons, going 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. K.J. Randhawa also added two hits.
Michael Brenly led UNLV with a 2-for-4 day at the plate. Rebel starter Thomas Whitsett (2-5) took the loss, allowing five runs off six hits in 4.1 innings pitched.
The Falcons took an early 4-0 lead with runs in the first and second and two in the third. After Scruggs' homer, the Falcons scored runs in the fifth-through-eighth innings to pull away. The win snapped a 27-game losing streak to the Rebels, dating back to 2002.
Truesdale most-likely concludes his 2008 season with 97.2 innings pitched. That total is good for fifth-best in a season at Air Force. His 58 strikeouts is also the most since Erik Fisher fanned 88 in 2002.
Air Force played its 13th errorless game of the season. They are now 8-5 in errorless games.
Game two of the series takes place tomorrow, Friday (May 16) at 1 p.m.
