Sunday, February 24
Kinston, NC
10 a.m. MT
Air Force Academy
3-3
6
vs
4
Navy
1-4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Air Force
0
1
3
0
0
2
0
6
11
3
NAVY
0
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2
0
0
0
0
4
7
1
Baseball Sweeps Doubleheader Over Navy
2/24/2019 6:07:00 PM | Baseball
The Falcons won the Freedom Classic series for the fifth time
KINSTON, N.C. – The Air Force Academy baseball team swept a doubleheader from Navy, 6-4 and 7-2, to win the weekend series at the Freedom Classic, Sunday, Feb. 24 inside Grainger Stadium. The Falcons (4-3) used a combination of solid pitching, as well as four home runs, to secure their fifth series win over Navy in Freedom Classic history.
Air Force moved to 15-13 all-time against the Midshipmen (1-5) at the Freedom Classic. The Falcons have now won the series in 2019, '17, '15, '14, and '12.
Game One: Air Force 6, Navy 4 (7 innings)
The Falcons used the long ball to claim victory in game one of the doubleheader, as the Falcons had three home runs to score its six runs. Senior Drew Wiss, freshman Gabriel Garcia, and junior Ashton Easley had a three-run, two-run, and solo shot, respectively.
As a team, AF had 11 hits, with the only for extra bases being the home runs. Senior Gabe Martinez led the way with a career-high three singles, while Easley also had a single on top of his solo shot.
On the mound, senior Jake Gilbert was the workhorse, as he claimed the win with a career-high 4.1 scoreless innings, including a career-best tying five strikeouts. It was the fifth win of his career. On the season, Gilbert has not allowed a run in 7.1 innings, with eight Ks.
Following a scoreless first inning, Easley got the scoring started with a bang, smacking a solo home run to straightaway center field. Navy answered with two runs in the bottom half, making it 2-1 after two.
In the top of the third, Wiss stepped up with two on and two out, and delivered with the three run homer, making it 4-2. The Midshipmen were quick to respond once again though, tying the score at four after three innings.
Gilbert, who entered in the third inning, then tossed scoreless fourth and fifth innings, keeping things level into the sixth. In the sixth, senior Daniel Jones led off with a single. One batter later, Garcia, who entered as a pinch hitter, laced the two-run home run for his first hit as a Falcon. With two more trips to the plate, AF held the 6-4 lead.
The righty Gilbert tossed his third consecutive scoreless frame in the bottom of the sixth, keeping it a two run game into the deciding seventh. In the seventh, Gilbert allowed a two out single, but a harmless groundout ended the game, evening the weekend series at a game apiece.
Game Two: Air Force 7, Navy 2
In game two, the Falcons got a steady combination of clutch hitting, as well as efficient pitching. Senior lefty Ethan Nichols got the start in game two, and had the best outing of his career. He went six scoreless innings, only allowing four hits and no walks, while striking out a career-best 10 batters to earn the win. In relief, junior Josh Leaser only allowed one earned run in his one inning, while fellow junior Shawn Kelley finished the game with two scoreless frames, only allowing one runner and striking out two.
The offense collected eight hits in the nightcap, led by senior catcher Rob Dau, who finished with two hits, including a double, and four RBIs. Sophomore Christian Gambale had the other big knock, a two-run home run, which was the first of his AF career.
Nichols mowed down Navy over the first three innings, racking up six strikeouts, just one off his career-high. His efforts helped AF take the early lead in the third, as Easley singled in freshman Alexander Pup, who collected his first career hit earlier in the frame. After three, the Falcons led 1-0.
Air Force extended the lead in the fourth with some slugging. The first two batters reached, and Dau doubled them in, making it 3-0. One batter later, Gambale hit his first career homer, a two-run shot to right, putting AF up 5-0 after four.
Following Nichols' fifth scoreless inning, Air Force continued to add onto the lead in the bottom of the fifth. After back-to-back walks with two outs, Dau delivered with a two-run single to make it 7-0 at the midway point.
Nichols continued to carve in the top of the sixth, with a 1-2-3 inning, including two strikeouts, to keep the shutout in tact into the seventh. He departed after six scoreless, and Navy took advantage, getting on the board on the top of the seventh with two runs, one unearned, to put it at 7-2 into the stretch.
Kelley then entered in the eighth, and proceeded to shut down the Navy bats over the next two innings, only allowing one base runner while striking out two, locking down the 7-2 victory and the series win.
Air Force has one more came in the Carolina's, as they head to Greenville to take on No. 11 East Carolina tomorrow, Feb. 25. First pitch against the Pirates is set for 2 p.m. MT.
Air Force moved to 15-13 all-time against the Midshipmen (1-5) at the Freedom Classic. The Falcons have now won the series in 2019, '17, '15, '14, and '12.
Game One: Air Force 6, Navy 4 (7 innings)
The Falcons used the long ball to claim victory in game one of the doubleheader, as the Falcons had three home runs to score its six runs. Senior Drew Wiss, freshman Gabriel Garcia, and junior Ashton Easley had a three-run, two-run, and solo shot, respectively.
As a team, AF had 11 hits, with the only for extra bases being the home runs. Senior Gabe Martinez led the way with a career-high three singles, while Easley also had a single on top of his solo shot.
On the mound, senior Jake Gilbert was the workhorse, as he claimed the win with a career-high 4.1 scoreless innings, including a career-best tying five strikeouts. It was the fifth win of his career. On the season, Gilbert has not allowed a run in 7.1 innings, with eight Ks.
Following a scoreless first inning, Easley got the scoring started with a bang, smacking a solo home run to straightaway center field. Navy answered with two runs in the bottom half, making it 2-1 after two.
In the top of the third, Wiss stepped up with two on and two out, and delivered with the three run homer, making it 4-2. The Midshipmen were quick to respond once again though, tying the score at four after three innings.
Gilbert, who entered in the third inning, then tossed scoreless fourth and fifth innings, keeping things level into the sixth. In the sixth, senior Daniel Jones led off with a single. One batter later, Garcia, who entered as a pinch hitter, laced the two-run home run for his first hit as a Falcon. With two more trips to the plate, AF held the 6-4 lead.
The righty Gilbert tossed his third consecutive scoreless frame in the bottom of the sixth, keeping it a two run game into the deciding seventh. In the seventh, Gilbert allowed a two out single, but a harmless groundout ended the game, evening the weekend series at a game apiece.
Game Two: Air Force 7, Navy 2
In game two, the Falcons got a steady combination of clutch hitting, as well as efficient pitching. Senior lefty Ethan Nichols got the start in game two, and had the best outing of his career. He went six scoreless innings, only allowing four hits and no walks, while striking out a career-best 10 batters to earn the win. In relief, junior Josh Leaser only allowed one earned run in his one inning, while fellow junior Shawn Kelley finished the game with two scoreless frames, only allowing one runner and striking out two.
The offense collected eight hits in the nightcap, led by senior catcher Rob Dau, who finished with two hits, including a double, and four RBIs. Sophomore Christian Gambale had the other big knock, a two-run home run, which was the first of his AF career.
Nichols mowed down Navy over the first three innings, racking up six strikeouts, just one off his career-high. His efforts helped AF take the early lead in the third, as Easley singled in freshman Alexander Pup, who collected his first career hit earlier in the frame. After three, the Falcons led 1-0.
Air Force extended the lead in the fourth with some slugging. The first two batters reached, and Dau doubled them in, making it 3-0. One batter later, Gambale hit his first career homer, a two-run shot to right, putting AF up 5-0 after four.
Following Nichols' fifth scoreless inning, Air Force continued to add onto the lead in the bottom of the fifth. After back-to-back walks with two outs, Dau delivered with a two-run single to make it 7-0 at the midway point.
Nichols continued to carve in the top of the sixth, with a 1-2-3 inning, including two strikeouts, to keep the shutout in tact into the seventh. He departed after six scoreless, and Navy took advantage, getting on the board on the top of the seventh with two runs, one unearned, to put it at 7-2 into the stretch.
Kelley then entered in the eighth, and proceeded to shut down the Navy bats over the next two innings, only allowing one base runner while striking out two, locking down the 7-2 victory and the series win.
Air Force has one more came in the Carolina's, as they head to Greenville to take on No. 11 East Carolina tomorrow, Feb. 25. First pitch against the Pirates is set for 2 p.m. MT.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Gilbert, Jake (1-0)
L: Topping, Trent (0-2)
Batting:
HR: Wiss, Drew 1 ; Easley, Ashton 1 ; Garcia, Gabriel 1
RBI: Wiss, Drew 3 ; Easley, Ashton 1 ; Garcia, Gabriel 2
SH: Dau, Rob 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Ready, Nic 1 ; Wiss, Drew 1 ; Easley, Ashton 1 ; Jones, Daniel 1 ; Gillman, Tommy 1 ; Garcia, Gabriel 1
SB: Ready, Nic 1
CS: Wiss, Drew 1 ; Brown, Colby 1
HBP: Wiss, Drew 2 ; Gillman, Tommy 1
Batting:
2B: Lowery, Evan 1
HR: Williamson, Jacob 1
RBI: Williamson, Jacob 1 ; Lowery, Evan 1 ; Lowery, Liam 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Williamson, Jacob 1 ; Hodge, Christian 1 ; Lowery, Evan 1 ; Stevens, Zach 1
HBP: Biggers, Zach 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
C/IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
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C
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
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