Falcons Breeze By Spartans In Series Opener, 11-6

USAFA, Colo. – The Air Force Academy baseball team rolled to an 11-6 win in the series opener against San Jose State, Friday afternoon, May 14, at Falcon Field. AF was on base all throughout the game, as they tallied 13 hits and drew a season-high 13 walks. AF has now won five-straight games for the third time this season.

Nine different Falcons tallied a hit, led by a three-hit day from senior Tommy Gillman, including a double and two RBIs. Sophomore Trayden Tamiya tallied a pair of hits after entering as a pinch hitter, including a triple and RBI single. Junior Gabriel Garcia tallied his team-leading fifth triple on the year as part of a three-RBI game. Freshman Paul Skenes reached base six times, as he drew three walks, was HBP, and tallied a pair of singles. His reached base streak is now at 26-straight games.

AF also had a four long hitting streaks extended, as Garcia has a 12-gamer, Skenes an 11-gamer, senior Cole Blatchford a 10-gamer, and Gillman a nine-gamer.

On the mound, junior CJ Dornak earned his fourth win of the season after tossing 2.2 innings in relief, striking out one. Skenes earned his ninth save of the season after finishing the last 1.2 frames. The nine saves are tied for the second-most in a single-season in program history.

After a scoreless first, AF had a prime scoring opportunity in the second, as the bases became loaded with no outs, however a pop out and line out that turned into a double play ended the threat.

The Falcons broke the ice in the third on an RBI triple from Garcia, who was later driven in on a sac bunt from junior Braydon Altorfer, to make it 2-0 in the third. SJSU got a run back in the bottom half of the inning on a solo homer to make it 2-1 into the fourth.

AF stole a run in the top of the fourth, as with runners in first and third, Blatchford got caught up in a run down, allowing junior Cayden Zimmerman to score from third and put the lead back to two. SJSU responded immediately once again with a solo run in the bottom of the fourth to keep it tight, 3-2.

Junior starting pitcher Rob Martin and Dornak combined for a scoreless fifth and Dornak went 1-2-3 in the sixth to maintain the tight score with three innings to play. Dornak worked around an error in a scoreless seventh to keep things steady into the eighth. The Falcons got back on the board in the top of the eighth with a four spot. Blatchford got it started with an RBI double down the line. He was later driven in on a sac fly from Garcia to make it 5-2.

Later on in the frame, Tamiya tripled and after two walks, junior Alexander Pup singled in a pair more to extend the lead to 7-2 into the middle of the eighth. The Spartans got a pair of runs back on another home run, followed by a sac fly, to make it 7-5 into the final frame.

AF tacked on some insurance in the top of the ninth on a sac fly from Garcia, an RBI single from Tamiya, and a two-RBI double from Gillman to get the lead back to six, 11-5, into the last of the ninth. There, Skenes let up a solo homer, but otherwise was clean to lock down the save and the 11-6 victory.

The Falcons and Spartans will return to the diamond tomorrow, May 15 for a doubleheader at Falcon Field. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. MT.

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