Air Force Academy
19-22, 0
Nevada
23-20, 0
Falcons Rally to Defeat Nevada, 14-8
4/27/2019 5:54:00 PM | Baseball
Air Force scored seven runs in the eighth to nab the victory
Air Force got it done at the dish once again, tallying 14 hits to score the 14 runs. Senior Colby Brown had the biggest stick, collecting four hits, including two doubles, along with three RBIs. Senior Nic Ready hit his third home run of the series, a two run shot that gave AF the lead in the eighth, as part of a two hit, three RBI day. It was his team best eighth of the season, and 45th of his career. He is now just two away from breaking the Academy record.
Senior Gabe Martinez also got in on the hit party, as he had two, including a two run homer and double, for a four RBI day. Finally, sophomore Christian Gambale had his second homer in as many days, a two run blast, in a two hit day.
On the hill, freshman Nathan Price earned his fifth win of the season after pitching the final five in relief, allowing just one run on five hits. His ERA sits at 2.17 over 45.2 innings this season.
Nevada (23-20, 10-13) struck first with two runs in the first and another in the second to take an early 3-0 lead. It did not last though as a Gambale two run homer and two Nevada errors allowed four runs to score, and give AF the one run lead after just two innings.
In the third, both teams traded runs to maintain the one run lead for AF. In the bottom of the third, a RBI single from Brown got the Falcons back ahead, 5-4, into the fourth. There, the Pack continued the back and forth affair by plating three runs to take the 7-5 lead.
After scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth, Nevada got some insurance in the top of the seventh with a single run to make it a three run game. The run proved to be crucial as in the bottom of the seventh, Martinez launched a two run, two out homer over the scoreboard in left field, to get the Falcons back within one, 8-7, with two to play.
Price then fired a scoreless top of the eighth, leading to the huge bottom of the eight for Air Force. Senior Drew Wiss got it all started with a lead off double off the wall in center. One batter later, Ready blasted a two run homer to left center to give AF the lead back, 9-8.
The Falcons were not nearly done yet, though, as a walk and steal from junior Ashton Easley led to an RBI single from senior Rob Dau, making it 10-8. Then a HBP and single loaded up the bases with still just one out. Martinez delivered a big blow with a two-run double in the gap, plating two more and putting it at 12-8. The final hit was off the bat of Brown, another two run double, to make it a 14-8 game into the ninth.
In the top of the ninth, the Pack got a pair on, but Price was able to work around it to preserve the six run win, and clinch the weekend series.
Air Force will go for the sweep of Nevada tomorrow afternoon, April 28, in the series finale from Falcon Field. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. MT.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Price, Nathan (5-3)
L: BONNENFANT, Bradley (5-2)
Batting:
2B: CLAYTON, Matt 1 ; ALLARD, Conor 1 ; SMITH, Keaton 2
RBI: ZAMORA, Joshua 1 ; HATTEN, Weston 1 ; CLAYTON, Matt 2 ; ALLARD, Conor 1 ; BOSETTI, Tyler 1 ; SMITH, Keaton 1
SH: VALENZUELA, Marco 1
SF: ZAMORA, Joshua 1 ; HATTEN, Weston 1 ; BOSETTI, Tyler 1
Base Running:
RUNS: McLAUGHLIN, Jaylon 2 ; HATTEN, Weston 2 ; BOSETTI, Tyler 1 ; SMITH, Keaton 1 ; SEAMONS, Nick 1 ; VALENZUELA, Marco 1
SB: McLAUGHLIN, Jaylon 1
HBP: SEAMONS, Nick 1 ; VALENZUELA, Marco 1
PO: CLAYTON, Matt 1
Batting:
2B: Wiss, Drew 1 ; Martinez, Gabe 1 ; Brown, Colby 2
HR: Ready, Nic 1 ; Gambale, Christian 1 ; Martinez, Gabe 1
RBI: Ready, Nic 3 ; Dau, Rob 1 ; Gambale, Christian 2 ; Martinez, Gabe 4 ; Brown, Colby 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Wiss, Drew 1 ; Ready, Nic 1 ; Easley, Ashton 1 ; Dau, Rob 2 ; Gambale, Christian 2 ; Garcia, Gabriel 1 ; Pup, Alexander 2 ; Martinez, Gabe 3 ; Brown, Colby 1
SB: Easley, Ashton 1
HBP: Gillman, Tommy 2 ; Gambale, Christian 1
