Falcons Fall to SDSU in Series Opener, Game Two Suspended to Tomorrow

USAFA, Colo. – The Air Force Academy baseball team dropped the opening game of a three-game series against San Diego State, 17-3, Saturday afternoon, May 22, at Falcon Field.

Game two of the doubleheader reached the top of the eighth inning before being suspended due to darkness with the score at 11-7 in favor of SDSU. It will resume tomorrow at 1 p.m. MT with game three coming immediately after.

Game One: San Diego State 17, Air Force 3 (7 inn.)

Air Force's offense tallied eight hits in the opener, led by a 3-for-3 game from senior Christian Gambale, including a double and solo homer. It was his third HR of the season. Junior Braydon Altorfer added a solo homer of his own, his seventh long ball of the campaign, while freshman Paul Skenes added a pair of singles to his ledger.

After a scoreless first, SDSU exploded for seven runs on six hits in the top half of the second to take a big early lead. AF responded with a pair of solo homers from Altorfer and Gambale in the bottom of the second to cut the deficit to 7-2 into the third.

AF had a solid opportunity in the bottom of the third to keep chipping away, loading the bases on walks, but they were left stranded to keep it a five-run game into the fourth. SDSU got the two back in the top of the fourth with a pair of unearned runs to keep the seven run deficit.

The Aztecs kept pounding away with three runs in the top of the sixth and two in the top of the seventh before a weather delay in the middle of the top of the seventh that lasted two and a half hours. After the delay, SDSU plated three more to open up a 17-2 lead into the stretch. AF got one back in the bottom of the seventh on a wild pitch, but the game ended with the seven-run rule.

Game Two: San Diego State 11, Air Force 7 (Suspended in T8)

SDSU kept the offensive momentum into game two, as they struck for five in the top of the first. AF responded with three runs in the bottom of the first on RBI singles from Skenes and senior Tommy Gillman, as well as a wild pitch, to make it 5-3 after one. Skenes notched an RBI double in the bottom of the second to cut the deficit to one into the third.

After entering in the second, junior Robert Martin tossed scoreless innings in the third, fourth, and fifth to keep it a one-run game into the midway point. AF capitalized on the pitching effort on a two-out RBI double from freshman Sam Kulasingam in the bottom of the fifth to make it five-all with four innings to play.

The Aztecs answered right back with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth, but AF got one back right away on Skenes' second RBI double of the game to keep it tight, 7-6, with three frames left.

SDSU continued to plate runs in the top of the seventh, striking for four more to make it an 11-6 tally into the stretch. In the bottom of the seventh, Kulasingam notched his second RBI double to make it 11-7 into the eighth. That is when the game was suspended due to darkness. It will resume tomorrow at 1 p.m. MT.

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