Offensive Explosion Leads Falcons over SDSU in Series Finale, 13-9

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Air Force Academy baseball team won a back and forth series finale at San Diego State, 13-9, Sunday afternoon, March 21, at Tony Gwynn Stadium. It was the first MW win on the season for the Falcons.

The offense was productive all game long, tallying 14 hits to produce the 13 runs, a new season-high. Freshman Paul Skenes led the charge, notching a career-best three hits, including a double, home run, as well as four RBIs and three runs scored.

Junior Alexander Pup added three knocks of his own, including two doubles, the first two-double game of his career, as well as two RBIs. Senior Cole Blatchford added a pair of knocks well to extend his 10-game hitting streak and 13-game reached base streak.

On the mound, AF got three solid innings in relief from freshman Doyle Gehring, as he only allowed one run on two hits while striking out two. Skenes earned the first win of his career after tossing the final three innings, and giving up no earned runs on just two hits with two Ks.

SDSU struck first with a run in the bottom of the first, making it 1-0 after one. AF responded with five runs in the top of the second, with one on a bases loaded walk from freshman Sam Kulasingam, one on an error, one on a wild pitch, and two on sac flies from sophomore Blake Covin and senior Tommy Gillman to make it 5-1 early on.

The Aztecs kept the pressure on, getting one back in each of the second and third to keep it a two-run game into the fourth inning. In the top of the fourth, Gillman led off with a triple to right center, and one batter later he was driven in by Blatchford to get the lead back to three, 6-3.

In the fifth, AF had a prime opportunity to add to the lead, but left the bases loaded to keep the tally at 6-3. Gehring tossed a scoreless bottom of the fifth to maintain the score into the final four innings. In the top of the sixth, Skenes lifted a two-run homer to left field with two outs to up the AF advantage to 8-3.

SDSU would not back down, as they plated five more runs, all unearned, in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game back up, 8-8. Following a scoreless seventh, Skenes came through on offense again with a two-RBI double to make it a 10-8 ballgame. Pup added an RBI double of his own to put the Falcons ahead, 11-8, with two innings left on defense.

The Aztecs got one back with an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth, but Skenes was able to maintain the two-run lead on the mound into the ninth. The Falcons added some insurance on in the top of the ninth on an RBI single from junior Braydon Altorfer and RBI fielder's choice from Pup to make it 13-9 into the last of the ninth. There, Skenes went 1-2-3 to seal the first pitching win of his AF career and the four-run victory.

AF will be back in action next weekend, March 27-28, for the home series opener coming against UNLV at Falcon Field. Action against the Rebels will come with a DH on Saturday, and a solo game on Sunday.

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