Falcons Hang on to Defeat South Dakota State, 6-5

USAFA, Colo. – The Air Force Academy baseball team held on for a 6-5 win to clinch the weekend series over South Dakota State, Sunday afternoon, March 8, at Falcon Field. The Falcons grabbed a lead in the first inning, and did not relinquish it despite multiple comeback attempts from the Jackrabbits.

The offense got six hits from six different players, as well as five RBIs from five different players. The winning hit ended up being a solo home run off the bat of sophomore Cole Blatchford, which was his third homer of the weekend. Three other players had doubles and RBIs, including seniors Ashton Easley and Tommy Gillman, as well as sophomore Gabriel Garcia.

On the mound, junior John Byrnes earned the win after tossing three innings in relief, only allowing two earned runs and striking out one. Easley earned his first save of the season after tossing a scoreless ninth frame. Junior Ben Hauser had a hold as well after pitching a scoreless eighth inning, working out of a jam with a strikeout and double play.

South Dakota State struck first in the top of the first with one run, but AF had the immediate response with a pair of two out RBI hits. The first came on an RBI double from Garcia, which was followed by an RBI single from sophomore Alexander Pup, making it 2-1 early on.

The Falcons tacked on another in the bottom of the second with a two out RBI double from Easley, putting the lead at two runs. Meanwhile, starting pitcher freshman Jason Shuger held the Jackrabbits scoreless into the fifth inning. There, the Jacks got one back and were threatening to score more, but Byrnes came on from the pen and got out of the jam to preserve the one run lead at the midway point.

In the bottom of the fifth, a leadoff double from Gillman turned into a run for the Falcons after a wild pitch and SDSU error plated a runner, getting the lead back up to two, 4-2, with four innings to play.

After a scoreless sixth, AF got two insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh, first on a sac fly from Gillman, and then on a solo homer to deep left off the bat of Blatchford, putting the Falcons up four, 6-2, with two frames left.

It would turn out the insurance was much needed, as the Jackrabbits struck for three runs in the top of the eighth to get back within one with the final turn at the plate coming up. Easley then took the mound from CF and stranded a runner on second to lock down the save and the one run victory.

The Falcons will be back on the road for the midweek this Tuesday and Wednesday, March 10-11 at Utah Valley. The games will be played in Provo, Utah due to field construction at UVU's field.

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