Sunday, February 23
Annapolis, Md.
11 a.m. MT
Air Force Academy
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3
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4
Navy
6-1
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4
5
6
7
8
9
10
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H
E
Air Force
0
2
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0
0
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12
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Navy
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1
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Photo by: Eric Strom
Falcons Fall at Navy in Walk Off Fashion
2/23/2020 4:23:00 PM | Baseball
AF tied the game in the ninth before falling in the 10th
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Air Force Academy baseball team dropped another heartbreaker to the Naval Academy, this time falling 4-3 in ten innings Sunday afternoon, Feb. 23, at Max Bishop Stadium. AF battled back to tie the game in the ninth, but fell on a walk off in the 10th.
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The offense had its best output of the young season, notching 12 hits to Navy's 11. Four players had two-hit games, from sophomore Cayden Zimmerman, freshman Clay Randall, junior Cole Blatchford, and freshman Zach Wall. All four had doubles, while Randall's was an RBI double. AF had many solid scoring opportunities, but left 13 men on base.
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On the mound, freshman Ryan Stohr earned the start was solid in a no decision. He went the first 5.1 innings, allowing just one earned run and striking out one with no walks. In relief, senior Jeff Gerlica pitched a scoreless inning.
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The scoring got started in the second as AF struck for two runs in the top half. An RBI double from Randall made it 1-0, and then an error on a passed ball by Navy scored him to make it 2-0 early. The Midshipmen responded in the bottom half with a lead off solo homer to make it 2-1 after two.
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Both pitchers then settled in as that score held until the bottom of the sixth, when Navy tied it up with an unearned run of their own to put the tally at 2-2 with three to play. A scoreless seventh led to the eighth, where Navy scored a bases loaded walk in the bottom half to go ahead, 3-2, going into the last turn at the dish.
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AF responded, however, in the top of the ninth. Back-to-back singles put two on with one out. After a strikeout, AF was down to the final out, but sophomore Braydon Altorfer delivered the clutch RBI single to tie the game and send it to the bottom of the ninth. There, senior Ashton Easley worked around a single and walk to send it to extras.
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In the tenth, AF got a single from Wall, but nothing else. Then in the bottom of the tenth, Navy got a walk, HBP, and then the walk off single to end the game.
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The Falcons will be right back in action tomorrow, Feb. 24, when they head down to Durham to face No. 16 Duke. First pitch against the Blue Devils is set for 2 p.m. MT.
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The offense had its best output of the young season, notching 12 hits to Navy's 11. Four players had two-hit games, from sophomore Cayden Zimmerman, freshman Clay Randall, junior Cole Blatchford, and freshman Zach Wall. All four had doubles, while Randall's was an RBI double. AF had many solid scoring opportunities, but left 13 men on base.
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On the mound, freshman Ryan Stohr earned the start was solid in a no decision. He went the first 5.1 innings, allowing just one earned run and striking out one with no walks. In relief, senior Jeff Gerlica pitched a scoreless inning.
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The scoring got started in the second as AF struck for two runs in the top half. An RBI double from Randall made it 1-0, and then an error on a passed ball by Navy scored him to make it 2-0 early. The Midshipmen responded in the bottom half with a lead off solo homer to make it 2-1 after two.
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Both pitchers then settled in as that score held until the bottom of the sixth, when Navy tied it up with an unearned run of their own to put the tally at 2-2 with three to play. A scoreless seventh led to the eighth, where Navy scored a bases loaded walk in the bottom half to go ahead, 3-2, going into the last turn at the dish.
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AF responded, however, in the top of the ninth. Back-to-back singles put two on with one out. After a strikeout, AF was down to the final out, but sophomore Braydon Altorfer delivered the clutch RBI single to tie the game and send it to the bottom of the ninth. There, senior Ashton Easley worked around a single and walk to send it to extras.
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In the tenth, AF got a single from Wall, but nothing else. Then in the bottom of the tenth, Navy got a walk, HBP, and then the walk off single to end the game.
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The Falcons will be right back in action tomorrow, Feb. 24, when they head down to Durham to face No. 16 Duke. First pitch against the Blue Devils is set for 2 p.m. MT.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Baker, D. (1-0)
L: Easley, Ashton (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Zimmerman, Cayden 1 ; Randall, Clay 1 ; Blatchford, Cole 1 ; Wall, Zach 1
RBI: Altorfer, Braydon 1 ; Randall, Clay 1
SH: Covin, Blake 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gillman, Tommy 1 ; Gambale, Christian 1 ; Randall, Clay 1
SB: Covin, Blake 1
HBP: Covin, Blake 1 ; Easley, Ashton 1
Batting:
HR: Stevens, Z. 1
RBI: Biggers, Z. 1 ; Stevens, Z. 1 ; Smith, A. 1 ; Simourian, J 1
SH: Lowery, E. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Stevens, Z. 3 ; Williamson 1
HBP: Lowery, E. 1 ; Wolff, M. 1 ; Simourian, J 2
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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