Tuesday, April 30
USAFA
3:30 p.m. MT
Air Force Academy
20-23
3
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2
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Kansas
22-21
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Kansas
0
0
0
0
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0
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2
2
7
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Air Force
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0
2
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X
3
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2
Photo by: Eric Strom
Falcons Knock off Kansas, 3-2
4/30/2019 7:26:00 PM | Baseball
The Falcons got a career best start from freshman Stevan Fairburn Jr.
USAFA, Colo. – The Air Force Academy baseball team knocked off the Kansas Jayhawks with a tight 3-2 win on a foggy and cold afternoon at Falcon Field, Tuesday afternoon, April 30. The Falcons (20-23) led 3-0 into the ninth before KU (22-21) scored two runs, however, the tying run was cut down trying to score in the ninth.
It was a brilliant start on the mound from freshman Stevan Fairburn Jr. as the left went a career-best seven innings of shutout ball, allowing just four hits and one walk and striking out six for a new career best. He moved to 2-0 on the season. Fellow freshman Nathan Price retired the final two batters in the game to lock down his team leading third save of the season. He lowered his ERA to 2.14, which is third among freshmen nationally.
At the plate, the Falcons battled the cold and wet conditions to tally seven hits spread among seven players, four of them doubles. Freshman Alexander Pup had an RBI double, while Nic Ready added an RBI single to get to within five of the all-time hits record at the Academy. Seniors Colby Brown and Gabe Martinez, as well as junior Ashton Easley, also added doubles to the ledger.
The first two innings breezed by before Air Force broke the ice in the third. Brown led off with a double, and Pup followed with a double of his own to open the scoring. After a steal of third by Pup, Ready singled him in to make it 2-0 into the fourth.
Fairburn Jr. then dialed in as he only allowed two hits while striking out five over the next four innings to keep it 2-0 into the stretch. In the bottom of the seventh, Martinez led off with a double, and he was quickly sacrificed to third. After a pitching change, a wild pitch allowed Martinez to score, making it 3-0 with two to play.
Sophomore Luke Chilcutt then entered from the pen to start the eighth, and worked around an error in a scoreless frame, striking out two. In the top of the ninth, he ran into some trouble with a solo homer to break the shutout, and then a walk and single to put two on.
That is when Price was summoned from the pen to try and lock down the save. The first batter he faced doubled in the gap in right center, scoring one, but a perfect relay from senior centerfielder Drew Wiss, to Pup, and to senior catcher Rob Dau at the plate cut down the tying run, and kept it 3-2 with two outs. Price then induced a harmless fly out to right to seal the one run win.
Air Force and Kansas will be back at it tomorrow, May 1, for the conclusion of the midweek series. First pitch from Falcon Field is set for noon MT.
It was a brilliant start on the mound from freshman Stevan Fairburn Jr. as the left went a career-best seven innings of shutout ball, allowing just four hits and one walk and striking out six for a new career best. He moved to 2-0 on the season. Fellow freshman Nathan Price retired the final two batters in the game to lock down his team leading third save of the season. He lowered his ERA to 2.14, which is third among freshmen nationally.
At the plate, the Falcons battled the cold and wet conditions to tally seven hits spread among seven players, four of them doubles. Freshman Alexander Pup had an RBI double, while Nic Ready added an RBI single to get to within five of the all-time hits record at the Academy. Seniors Colby Brown and Gabe Martinez, as well as junior Ashton Easley, also added doubles to the ledger.
The first two innings breezed by before Air Force broke the ice in the third. Brown led off with a double, and Pup followed with a double of his own to open the scoring. After a steal of third by Pup, Ready singled him in to make it 2-0 into the fourth.
Fairburn Jr. then dialed in as he only allowed two hits while striking out five over the next four innings to keep it 2-0 into the stretch. In the bottom of the seventh, Martinez led off with a double, and he was quickly sacrificed to third. After a pitching change, a wild pitch allowed Martinez to score, making it 3-0 with two to play.
Sophomore Luke Chilcutt then entered from the pen to start the eighth, and worked around an error in a scoreless frame, striking out two. In the top of the ninth, he ran into some trouble with a solo homer to break the shutout, and then a walk and single to put two on.
That is when Price was summoned from the pen to try and lock down the save. The first batter he faced doubled in the gap in right center, scoring one, but a perfect relay from senior centerfielder Drew Wiss, to Pup, and to senior catcher Rob Dau at the plate cut down the tying run, and kept it 3-2 with two outs. Price then induced a harmless fly out to right to seal the one run win.
Air Force and Kansas will be back at it tomorrow, May 1, for the conclusion of the midweek series. First pitch from Falcon Field is set for noon MT.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Fairburn Jr., Stevan (2-0)
L: Steve Washilewski (2-2)
S: Price, Nathan (3)
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Batting:
2B: Jaxx Groshans 2 ; Conner VanCleave 1
HR: Brett Vosik 1
RBI: Brett Vosik 1 ; Conner VanCleave 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brett Vosik 1 ; Benjamin Sems 1
CS: Jaxx Groshans 1
Batting:
2B: Easley, Ashton 1 ; Martinez, Gabe 1 ; Brown, Colby 1 ; Pup, Alexander 1
RBI: Ready, Nic 1 ; Pup, Alexander 1
SH: Brown, Colby 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Martinez, Gabe 1 ; Brown, Colby 1 ; Pup, Alexander 1
SB: Easley, Ashton 1 ; Gambale, Christian 1 ; Pup, Alexander 1
HBP: Wiss, Drew 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
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