Falcons Sweep Doubleheader From San Jose State

USAFA, Colo. – The Air Force Academy baseball team remained red hot in a doubleheader sweep of San Jose State Saturday afternoon, May 15, at Falcon Field. AF won the seven-inning opener, 9-3, before taking the nightcap, 11-3.

The Falcons have now won seven-straight, a new season-best winning streak. AF also won its 15th MW Conference game, which sets the program record for conference wins in a single season.

Game One: Air Force 9, San Jose State 3 (7 inn.)

AF tallied nine hits in the shortened first game, led by a career-best four hit day from junior Alexander Pup, including a double and two RBIs. Junior Braydon Altorfer blasted a solo home run as part of a two-RBI game, the sixth homer of his season. Sophomore Trayden Tamiya tallied a pair of knocks as well, as well as an RBI.

On the mound, senior John Byrnes continued his stellar season as he earned his fifth victory after going the first six innings, only allowing three runs on three hits while striking out seven. His conference-leading ERA now sits at 2.71. In the one inning of relief, freshman Doyle Gehring tossed a scoreless frame with a K.

The Falcons struck first in game one with a pair of runs in the second inning. Senior Tommy Gillman led off with a walk, and was driven in on a Pup double. Later in the frame, sophomore Blake Covin blasted a ball to dead center for an RBI triple to make it 2-0 into the third. There, SJSU got a run back after a leadoff double to keep it a one-run game, 2-1.

AF kept the bats hot in the third as they played four more. After back-to-back walks, junior Gabriel Garcia doubled in a runner on a blast to center. Altorfer drove home another on a sac fly, and then Pup and Tamiya went back-to-back with RBI singles to extend the lead to 6-1 into the fourth.

After a scoreless fourth, AF got back into the scorebook in the fifth with a trio more runs. The first run was on a solo homer from Altorfer to deep left field. Later in the frame, junior Cayden Zimmerman plated one on a sac fly and a third scored on a passed ball to make it 9-1 with two frames to play.

The Spartans got a pair back in the top of the sixth to keep the score within striking distance, 9-3. Gehring then entered from the pen and worked around a couple base runners to complete the six-run victory.

Game Two: Air Force 11, San Jose State 3

The Falcon offense tallied 17 hits in the nightcap, including multi-hit games from four players. Skenes had the best game on offense of his young career, as he went a perfect 5-for-5 including two doubles, two home runs, and four RBIs, while also scoring four runs. He now has 10 HRs on the season, which is the second most for a freshman in Academy history.

Zimmerman and Garcia added three-hit games each, Zimmerman with a double and two RBIs, while Garcia had two doubles and a run driven in.

On the mound, sophomore Jason Shuger had a career-best outing, as he earned his second win of the season. He tossed a career-long seven frames, and only allowed two runs, one earned, on six hits while striking out five.

AF wasted no time getting on the board in game two, as they plated a pair in the first. Zimmerman led off with a single, and got to third on a steal and error. He then scored on a wild pitch to make it 1-0. In the same at bat, Skenes blasted a solo homer to left center to put the score at 2-0 after one.

SJSU got a run back in the top of the second, but Shuger maintained the lead on the mound. He tossed a quick top of the third, and AF got a run back in the bottom half on a passed ball to get the lead back to two, 3-1, into the fourth. Shuger tossed another clean frame in the top of the fourth and AF capitalized with a five-run frame.

Following a walk and single, Zimmerman doubled down the left field line to plate a pair. Later in the frame, with two men on, Skenes went opposite field with a three-run homer over the tall wall in right for his second HR of the game, making it 8-1 into the fifth. Shuger came back with a third-straight clean inning to maintain the big lead into the fifth.

Shuger continued to carve in the sixth, as he worked around a pair of hits to keep it a seven-run game. The Falcons then got two more on the board in the bottom of the sixth on three-straight doubles. Skenes led off with one, his fourth knock of the game. That was followed by RBI doubles from Garcia and Gillman to extend the lead.

SJSU got a run back in the top of the seventh on an error to put the tally at 10-2 into the stretch. AF got one back in the bottom of the eight on an RBI double from freshman Sam Kulasingam to put the lead at nine into the final frame. There, SJSU got another run back but AF was able to close out the eight-run victory.

The Falcons will go for the four-game series sweep tomorrow, May 16. First pitch from Falcon Field is set for 11 a.m. MT.

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