Falcons Fall In Pitchers Dual At Dallas Baptist

DALLAS, Texas – The Air Force Academy baseball team fell in a pitchers dual in the series opener against Dallas Baptist, 2-0, Friday evening, April 16, at the Horner Ballpark. Both teams combined for just five hits, while also combining for 23 strikeouts.

The Falcons got a solid start on the mound from sophomore Jason Shuger, as he was the hard luck loser after allowing just two runs, one unearned, on two hits over his six innings of work, a new career-best. He struck out a season-best seven batters. In relief, junior Zach Argo and freshman Doyle Gehring combined for a scoreless inning each, with Gehring notching a K.

On offense, freshman Paul Skenes tallied a hit to up his hitting streak to five-straight and his reached base streak to 14. Senior Tommy Gillman notched the other hit for the Falcons with a single.

The game flew through the first four innings, as AF tallied just one hit over the first four, and Shuger held DBU to one hit and a couple walks to keep it a 0-0 game into the fifth. In the fifth, DBU broke the stalemate as they plated a pair of runs, one of them unearned, to take a 2-0 advantage into the sixth inning.

Shuger rebounded with a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth, and then Argo came on from the pen and fired a scoreless bottom of the seventh to maintain the two-run deficit into the eighth inning. Gehring then tossed a scoreless eighth inning to keep the game within striking distance into the ninth.

Gillman led off the ninth as a pinch hitter and he singled to get AF's first base runner since the first inning. Despite having the tying run at the plate, DBU was able to twist a game-ending double play to seal the 2-0 final.

The Falcons and Patriots will return to the diamond tomorrow, April 17, for game two of the three-game series. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. MT.

Footer

The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the u.s air force of non-u.s. government sites or the information, products, or services contained therein. Although the u.s. air force may or may not use these sites as additional distribution channels for department of defense information, it does not exercise editorial control over all of the information that you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this website.