Monday, February 25
Greenville, NC
2 p.m. MT
Air Force Academy
5-3
3
at
2
East Carolina
5-3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Air Force
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
1
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8
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ECU
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1
0
0
0
0
0
1
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1
Air Force Defeats No. 14 East Carolina, 3-2
2/25/2019 5:50:00 PM | Baseball
It was Air Force's fourth win over a top-25 team since the start of last season
GREENVILLE, N.C. – The Air Force Academy baseball team capped its four game North Carolina swing with an exclamation point, as they defeated No. 14 East Carolina, 3-2, Monday evening, Feb. 25, at Clark-LeClair Stadium. It was Air Force's (5-3) fourth win over a top-25 team since the start of last season, and the highest ranked opponent the Falcons have defeated since knocking off a top-five TCU team twice back in 2010.
The Falcons used eight hits, four for extra bases, as well as the arms of a dynamic freshman duo, to claim the victory over the Pirates (5-3), who were a 2018 NCAA Regional host as a 12 seed. ECU was held to just three hits on the afternoon, one in the first and two in the eighth.
On the mound, freshman Zach Argo earned the first start of his career and took a no decision after giving up just one run through four innings, yielding one hit while striking out one. In relief, fellow freshman Nathan Price earned the second victory of his young career after he went the final five, only surrendering one run on two hits, while striking out a pair.
Senior Gabe Martinez led the way offensively with two huge RBIs, including the game winning solo home run in the ninth inning. It was the first round tripper of his Air Force career. Fellow senior Drew Wiss had the other home run, also a solo job.
Junior Ashton Easley extended his hitting streak to eight games with a two hit day, which included a triple as well as a run scored. Freshman Alexander Pup collected the first extra base hit of his career with a double in a 2-for-4 game.
Air Force's defense was also crucial in securing the victory, as they played errorless ball, while turning two double plays, including one that cut down a runner at the plate. Senior catcher Rob Dau also picked off his third runner of the season.
The Pirates struck first in the second inning, picking up a run on a sacrifice bunt, to lead it 1-0 after two. Following a scoreless third, AF answered back in the fourth with a pair of runs.
Wiss got things started with his second homer in as many days, a solo shot to right, to tie the game. The next batter, Easley, tripled in the gap in left center, to set himself up with one out. Martinez then broke the tie with an RBI groundout, as the Falcons took a 2-1 lead into the fifth inning.
In the fifth, Argo got into a little trouble, as the bases eventually became loaded with just one out. With Price in to pitch from the pen, he got a fly out to center, and Wiss came up clutch by throwing the runner out at home to complete the double play and keep the AF lead into the sixth.
Price continued to mow down Pirate batters in the sixth and seventh, retiring six in a row to get the 2-1 lead to the bottom of the eighth. There, ECU rallied to tie the game on an RBI single following a leadoff double. The double was ECU's first hit since the first inning. Despite that, the game went to the ninth tied at two.
That's when Martinez played hero, as he launched a solo home run to left field for his second RBI of the day. The first home run of his career made it a 3-2 game going to the last of the ninth.
In the bottom of the ninth, Price soldiered on, and made quick work of the Pirate lineup, sending them down 1-2-3 to lock down the one run win.
Air Force now has the rest of the midweek off from competition as they prepare to open up the home and Mountain West Conference slate this weekend, March 1-3, against preseason favorite San Diego State. The weekend series kicks off Friday with a 2 p.m. first pitch at Falcon Field.
The Falcons used eight hits, four for extra bases, as well as the arms of a dynamic freshman duo, to claim the victory over the Pirates (5-3), who were a 2018 NCAA Regional host as a 12 seed. ECU was held to just three hits on the afternoon, one in the first and two in the eighth.
On the mound, freshman Zach Argo earned the first start of his career and took a no decision after giving up just one run through four innings, yielding one hit while striking out one. In relief, fellow freshman Nathan Price earned the second victory of his young career after he went the final five, only surrendering one run on two hits, while striking out a pair.
Senior Gabe Martinez led the way offensively with two huge RBIs, including the game winning solo home run in the ninth inning. It was the first round tripper of his Air Force career. Fellow senior Drew Wiss had the other home run, also a solo job.
Junior Ashton Easley extended his hitting streak to eight games with a two hit day, which included a triple as well as a run scored. Freshman Alexander Pup collected the first extra base hit of his career with a double in a 2-for-4 game.
Air Force's defense was also crucial in securing the victory, as they played errorless ball, while turning two double plays, including one that cut down a runner at the plate. Senior catcher Rob Dau also picked off his third runner of the season.
The Pirates struck first in the second inning, picking up a run on a sacrifice bunt, to lead it 1-0 after two. Following a scoreless third, AF answered back in the fourth with a pair of runs.
Wiss got things started with his second homer in as many days, a solo shot to right, to tie the game. The next batter, Easley, tripled in the gap in left center, to set himself up with one out. Martinez then broke the tie with an RBI groundout, as the Falcons took a 2-1 lead into the fifth inning.
In the fifth, Argo got into a little trouble, as the bases eventually became loaded with just one out. With Price in to pitch from the pen, he got a fly out to center, and Wiss came up clutch by throwing the runner out at home to complete the double play and keep the AF lead into the sixth.
Price continued to mow down Pirate batters in the sixth and seventh, retiring six in a row to get the 2-1 lead to the bottom of the eighth. There, ECU rallied to tie the game on an RBI single following a leadoff double. The double was ECU's first hit since the first inning. Despite that, the game went to the ninth tied at two.
That's when Martinez played hero, as he launched a solo home run to left field for his second RBI of the day. The first home run of his career made it a 3-2 game going to the last of the ninth.
In the bottom of the ninth, Price soldiered on, and made quick work of the Pirate lineup, sending them down 1-2-3 to lock down the one run win.
Air Force now has the rest of the midweek off from competition as they prepare to open up the home and Mountain West Conference slate this weekend, March 1-3, against preseason favorite San Diego State. The weekend series kicks off Friday with a 2 p.m. first pitch at Falcon Field.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Price, Nathan (2-0)
L: BARNES, Z. (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Pup, Alexander 1
3B: Easley, Ashton 1
HR: Wiss, Drew 1 ; Martinez, Gabe 1
RBI: Wiss, Drew 1 ; Martinez, Gabe 2
SH: Gambale, Christian 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wiss, Drew 1 ; Easley, Ashton 1 ; Martinez, Gabe 1
CS: Gambale, Christian 1
PO: Gambale, Christian 1 ; Ready, Nic 1 ; Easley, Ashton 1
Batting:
2B: GILES, R. 1
RBI: BURLESON, A. 1 ; LLOYD, B. 1
SH: LLOYD, B. 1 ; GILES, R. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: BROWN, T. 1 ; GILES, R. 1
HBP: FRANCISCO, T 1 ; HOOVER, L. 1
PO: FRANCISCO, T 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballIF
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