Nichols Near Complete Game Powers Falcons to Series Clinching Win at Nevada, 4-1

RENO, Nev. – The Air Force Academy baseball team rode a near complete game from senior pitcher Ethan Nichols to a 4-1 series clinching win at Nevada, Sunday afternoon, March 31, at Peccole Park. The Falcons (12-12) moved to 4-3 in the Mountain West Conference on the season.

Nichols was one out away from a complete game shutout when Nevada (14-13, 5-7 MW) found its offense, but was otherwise flawless as he retired 26 of 27 batters faced before the two out rally. In total, Nichols earned the second win of his season after going 8.2, allowing just the one run on four hits while striking out a career-best tying 10 and walking no one.

In relief, sophomore Luke Chilcutt needed just one pitch to earn the first save of his Air Force career. It was the second time in three games AF pitchers have not allowed a free pass, and they only walked one batter all weekend.

On offense, Air Force put up double digit hits for the second straight game, collecting 11 on the afternoon. Senior Rob Dau led the way with a season-best three hits, along with an RBI, while junior Tommy Gillman added two more knocks, including his first home run as a Falcon, a solo shot.

The Falcons struck quickly in the first as a leadoff double from junior Ashton Easley, followed by a Gillman single, resulted in runners on the corners and no outs. Senior Nic Ready then flew out to right, but Easley scampered home on the sac fly, making it 1-0.

Air Force kept the offense clicking in the second, as a leadoff single from freshman Alexander Pup turned into an RBI single later in the inning from Dau to up the lead to 2-0 early on. The hits kept coming in the third for AF, as Gillman smoked the first home run of his Falcon career, a solo shot to right field, to make it a 3-0 game early on. One more run was added in the fourth, as a senior Drew Wiss sac fly made it 4-0 into the fifth.

Meanwhile on the mound, Nichols was perfect through the first 4.2 innings, going 14-up, 14-down. He surrendered his first hit with two outs in the fifth, but struck out his sixth batter to end that frame and keep the shutout in tact with four to play.

Nichols kept cruising in the sixth and seventh innings, retiring all six batters faced there while upping his strikeout count to eight, and maintaining the shutout into the eighth. Another 1-2-3 frame in the eighth sent the game to the ninth with the 4-0 score.

In the bottom of the ninth, Nichols surrendered his first run of the afternoon with a trio of two out hits, making it 4-1 and ending his day one out short of the complete game. In relief, Chilcutt needed just one pitch to induce a fly out, and seal the three run series clinching victory.

Air Force will return to the diamond this Tuesday, April 2, for a midweek at Northern Colorado. First pitch against the Bears in Greeley is set for 3 p.m. MT.

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