Falcons Take Season Opener Over Manhattan, 4-3

DELAND, Fla. – The Air Force Academy baseball team opened the 2020 season on a high note with a 4-3 victory over Manhattan College, Friday afternoon, Feb. 14, at Melching Field. The Falcons used a three-run sixth inning, as well as some solid pitching, to take the season opener.

On the hill, junior Luke Chilcutt earned the start, and took advantage of the opportunity, going the first six innings, only allowing two runs and striking out three to earn the win. In relief, sophomore Nathan Price, a returning Freshman All-American, picked up where he left off a season ago, going the final 2.2 innings scoreless and striking out three more to pick up the save. The Falcons pitchers also did not allow an extra base hit.

The offense took a few innings to heat up, but they put it all together in the middle innings, and finished with seven hits. Leading the charge was junior Cole Blatchford, who had a clutch two-run double for his only hit of the day, and AF's only extra base hit. Senior Ashton Easley and sophomore Gabriel Garcia each had two-hit games, as well as an RBI each. Garcia also drew a walk and scored a run, while Easley stole a base. He now has 48 for his career after swiping 30 a season ago.

AF was designated as the home team for the neutral site contest, and Manhattan wasted no time getting on the board in the top of the first with an RBI fielder's choice. Meanwhile, AF went without a hit over the first three innings to keep it 1-0 into the fourth.

On the bump, Chilcutt was steady after the first, at one point retiring seven straight, to maintain the slight deficit into the bottom of the fifth. There, Garcia led off with a single, and he eventually came around to score on an Easley RBI single, tying the game at 1-1 into the sixth.

Manhattan answered quickly with a two-out RBI single in the top of the sixth, but the offensive momentum from the fifth carried over into the sixth for the Falcons. AF led off with back-to-back hits to put two on with no outs. Blatchford then got AF its first lead of the game with a two-run double. The next batter, Garcia, kept the line moving with an RBI single, making it 4-2 into the seventh.

There, Manhattan did not relent, getting an unearned run to keep it a one run game into the seventh inning stretch. After entering in the middle of the seventh, Price had a shutdown eighth to keep the slim lead into the ninth. In the ninth, he kept shoving, notching a 1-2-3 frame for the three-inning save.

AF will be back in action tomorrow, Feb. 15, when they play a split doubleheader at Melching Field. The day starts with a contest against Manhattan at 11 a.m., followed by the night cap against the host Stetson Hatters starting at 4:30 p.m. MT.

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