Baseball's Offense Comes Alive in 15-8 Win Over South Dakota State

USAFA, Colo. – The Air Force Academy baseball team got the bats going in a 15-8 series opening victory over South Dakota State, Friday evening, March 6, at Falcon Field. AF got its best offensive output of the young season striking for 19 hits, including eight for extra bases.

The Falcons had six starters tally multi-hit games, while five of those had three of more hits. Leading the way was sophomore Gabriel Garcia, who had a career-best day going 4-for-4 with four RBIs, and finished a home run shy of the cycle with a double and triple. Senior Tommy Gillman also had a career-high four RBIs, including a two-run home run, as part of a three hit day.

Junior Cole Blatchford also had a two-run home run as part of a two-hit day. The other three-hit games came from senior Ashton Easley, and sophomores Braydon Altorfer and Alexander Pup. Easley had a triple, Pup a double, and Altorfer two doubles.

On the mound, senior Josh Leaser earned his second win of the season after going four innings in relief. The righty allowed just one earned run, while striking out a season-best four, which ties his career-best.

South Dakota State got the jump on AF early on, tagging them for four runs in the top of the first to take an early 4-0 lead. AF got one back in the bottom of the first on an RBI single from sophomore Cayden Zimmerman to make it a three run game after one.

AF then brought the slugging in the second, as back-to-back doubles to start the inning resulted in a RBI from Garcia. One batter later, Altorfer doubled in Garcia, making it a one run game. One batter after that, Easley ripped a triple down the right field line to tie the game. The Falcons were not done yet, as Gillman launched AF's first home run of the season in the next at bat to give them the 6-4 lead after just two innings.

B2 | GILLMAN GOES YARD!!

He BLASTS a two run dinger over the right field fence and we take a 6-4 lead!#LetsFly #FlyFightWin pic.twitter.com/P7xo2xjlop
— Air Force Baseball (@AF_Baseball) March 6, 2020

After a scoreless third, SDSU got one back in the top of the fourth, but AF had the immediate response in the bottom of the fourth on a wild pitch that scored a run, keeping it a two run contest. In the fifth, the Jackrabbits got it back within one, but the Falcons had the immediate response again, as Blatchford launched a two-run dinger to the power alley in left center to make it a 9-6 game with four innings to play.

With apologies to Cole Blatchford, it appears we tweeted out the wrong clip of his two run homer. Well...here it is!#LetsFly #FlyFightWin pic.twitter.com/ZoGQGZefGq
— Air Force Baseball (@AF_Baseball) March 7, 2020

The Falcons pushed the lead in the bottom of the sixth, as RBI singles from Gillman and Pup, and then an RBI triple from Garcia, extended the AF advantage to 13-6 in the late innings. The seventh then went scoreless before SDSU got one back in the top of the eighth, making it 13-7.

Air Force got two more insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run sac fly off the bat of Garcia. The Miami native just missed what would have been a home run to compete the cycle. Then in the top of the ninth, SDSU loaded the bases and plated one run, but the comeback could not be completed, resulting in the 15-8 AF victory.

The Falcons will return to the diamond for game two of the series at Falcon Field tomorrow, March 7. First pitch against the Jackrabbits is set for 1 p.m. MT.

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