Saturday, May 8
USAFA
10 a.m. MT
Air Force Academy
18-18, 10-12
6
vs
4
New Mexico
9-21, 6-13
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
New Mexico
0
0
1
1
0
0
2
0
0
4
6
2
Air Force
1
0
0
0
0
4
1
0
X
6
9
1
Photo by: JB Gallegos
Falcons Sweep Doubleheader Against New Mexico
5/8/2021 6:53:00 PM | Baseball
The Falcons tallied season-highs in hits and runs in game two
USAFA, Colo. – The Air Force Academy baseball team swept a doubleheader against New Mexico on a blustery day at Falcon Field, Saturday afternoon, May 8. The Falcons took the opener, 6-4, before winning the finale in a slugfest, 15-12.
Â
Game One: Air Force 6, New Mexico 4
Â
AF took full advantage of a pair of Lobo errors in game one, as four unearned runs in the sixth inning ended up being the difference. The offense tallied nine hits, led by a two-hit game from junior Braydon Altorfer, including a solo homer, his fourth HR of the season.
Â
Senior Cole Blatchford had a pair of hits, both doubles, while junior Cayden Zimmerman had a pair of knocks, including a double. Freshman Paul Skenes notched a two-RBI single as well.
Â
On the mound, senior John Byrnes earned his fourth win of the season after going the first six innings, only allowing two runs on three hits while striking out five. His MW-leading ERA now sits at 2.53.
Â
In relief, Skenes earned his league-leading eighth save of the season after tossing the final two frames, only allowing one hit while striking out three. The eight saves are a new freshman record at the Academy. He also lowered his sterling ERA to 1.80 over 20 innings.
Â
Byrnes fired a six pitch first inning, and AF got the bats going in the bottom half of the first. Zimmerman led off with a single, and was later driven in with two outs on a double off the tall centerfield wall by junior Gabriel Garcia to make it 1-0 after one.
Â
After a scoreless second, New Mexico knotted the game at one in the third on a solo homer. They took their first lead of the game in the top of the fourth with another run to make it 2-1. AF had a pair of solid opportunities in the fourth and fifth but they left a pair on base each time to keep it 2-1 into the sixth.
Â
The Falcons took advantage of some Lobo miscues in the sixth to re-take the lead. With two outs, NM had a throwing error, which got a man on. After a walk and HBP, NM had another throwing error to allow two runs to score and give AF the 3-2 lead. Then Skenes singled through the left side to plate a pair more and make it 5-2 with three innings to play.
Â
New Mexico kept up the pressure in the top of the seventh as they plated a pair more to keep it a one-run game, 5-4, into the stretch. AF got one back in the bottom of the seventh on a solo homer from Altorfer to put the lead at 6-4 with two frames left.
Â
Skenes then entered in the top of the eighth, and worked around a baserunner in each of the eighth and ninth to lock down his eighth save of the season and the two-run victory.
Â
Game Two: Air Force 15, New Mexico 12
Â
The Falcons scored nine runs over the first three innings, and didn't look back in the slugfest victory. AF tallied 19 hits to score the 15 runs, both are season-highs for the Falcons.
Â
Garcia led the way with a huge five-hit game, a new career-high and the most hits by a Falcon since senior Christian Gambale had a five-hit day on the second to last day of the 2020 season, March 10. Garcia had two doubles, a triple, as well as two RBIs and two runs scored.
Â
Six other Falcon batters had multi-hit games, including three-hit games from Skenes and senior Tommy Gillman. Skenes, who had a double and two-run homer, extended his hitting streak to nine and reached base streak to 24. It was his team-leading eighth HR of the season. Altorfer added a game-high three RBIs to his two-hit game.
Â
Junior Zach Argo earned his second win of the season after tossing the final two frames of the game. He did not allow an earned run on two hits while striking out three.
Â
AF leapt ahead early in game two with three runs in the first inning. Blatchford and Skenes went back-to-back with singles, followed by an RBI double from Garcia to make it 1-0. Gambale followed with a sac fly, and then an NM error made it 3-0 after one.
Â
After a scoreless second, AF kept the bats rolling in the third with a six spot on six hits to open up a 9-0 lead. Skenes got things started with a double, followed by a Garcia single to put two on. After a HBP, Altorfer singled in a pair. Another single loaded up the bags again, and then junior Alexander Pup doubled in two more to make it 7-0. Sophomore Blake Covin drove in run eight on a ground out, and then Zimmerman doubled in the sixth runner of the frame to make it a 9-0 game into the fourth.
Â
UNM got one back in the top of the fourth, but starting pitcher sophomore Jason Shuger struck out three more batters to up his total to six and keep it at 9-1. Shuger finished with a tied for season-high season-high seven Ks. AF got the run right back in the bottom of the fourth after a two out double by Altorfer was followed by an RBI single from Gillman to make it 10-1 into the fifth.
Â
The Lobos continued to hit in the top of the fifth, as they plated five more to put the score at 10-6 at the midway point. AF got a pair back in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double from Garcia, his fourth hit of the day, and RBI HBP from Altorfer to put the tally at 12-6 with four innings to play.
Â
New Mexico tallied another run in the top of the sixth on a solo homer, but no further damage was recorded to keep it at 12-7. AF then rallied with two outs in the bottom of the sixth with a trio of runs. Zimmerman tripled with two down and he was singled in by Blatchford to make it 13-7. The next batter, Skenes, then launched a two-run jack to left center to make it a 15-7 game into the seventh.
Â
The Lobo offense put up a pair more runs in the top of the seventh to make it 15-9 into the stretch. From there, Argo came on in relief and fired a scoreless eighth to send it to the ninth. In the ninth, NM scored a trio of runs, all unearned, on a three-run homer, but that was it in the 15-12 victory.
Â
AF and NM will be back in action tomorrow, May 9, for the series finale. The Mother's Day showdown is set for an 11 a.m. first pitch.
Â
Game One: Air Force 6, New Mexico 4
Â
AF took full advantage of a pair of Lobo errors in game one, as four unearned runs in the sixth inning ended up being the difference. The offense tallied nine hits, led by a two-hit game from junior Braydon Altorfer, including a solo homer, his fourth HR of the season.
Â
Senior Cole Blatchford had a pair of hits, both doubles, while junior Cayden Zimmerman had a pair of knocks, including a double. Freshman Paul Skenes notched a two-RBI single as well.
Â
On the mound, senior John Byrnes earned his fourth win of the season after going the first six innings, only allowing two runs on three hits while striking out five. His MW-leading ERA now sits at 2.53.
Â
In relief, Skenes earned his league-leading eighth save of the season after tossing the final two frames, only allowing one hit while striking out three. The eight saves are a new freshman record at the Academy. He also lowered his sterling ERA to 1.80 over 20 innings.
Â
Byrnes fired a six pitch first inning, and AF got the bats going in the bottom half of the first. Zimmerman led off with a single, and was later driven in with two outs on a double off the tall centerfield wall by junior Gabriel Garcia to make it 1-0 after one.
Â
After a scoreless second, New Mexico knotted the game at one in the third on a solo homer. They took their first lead of the game in the top of the fourth with another run to make it 2-1. AF had a pair of solid opportunities in the fourth and fifth but they left a pair on base each time to keep it 2-1 into the sixth.
Â
The Falcons took advantage of some Lobo miscues in the sixth to re-take the lead. With two outs, NM had a throwing error, which got a man on. After a walk and HBP, NM had another throwing error to allow two runs to score and give AF the 3-2 lead. Then Skenes singled through the left side to plate a pair more and make it 5-2 with three innings to play.
Â
New Mexico kept up the pressure in the top of the seventh as they plated a pair more to keep it a one-run game, 5-4, into the stretch. AF got one back in the bottom of the seventh on a solo homer from Altorfer to put the lead at 6-4 with two frames left.
Â
Skenes then entered in the top of the eighth, and worked around a baserunner in each of the eighth and ninth to lock down his eighth save of the season and the two-run victory.
Â
Game Two: Air Force 15, New Mexico 12
Â
The Falcons scored nine runs over the first three innings, and didn't look back in the slugfest victory. AF tallied 19 hits to score the 15 runs, both are season-highs for the Falcons.
Â
Garcia led the way with a huge five-hit game, a new career-high and the most hits by a Falcon since senior Christian Gambale had a five-hit day on the second to last day of the 2020 season, March 10. Garcia had two doubles, a triple, as well as two RBIs and two runs scored.
Â
Six other Falcon batters had multi-hit games, including three-hit games from Skenes and senior Tommy Gillman. Skenes, who had a double and two-run homer, extended his hitting streak to nine and reached base streak to 24. It was his team-leading eighth HR of the season. Altorfer added a game-high three RBIs to his two-hit game.
Â
Junior Zach Argo earned his second win of the season after tossing the final two frames of the game. He did not allow an earned run on two hits while striking out three.
Â
AF leapt ahead early in game two with three runs in the first inning. Blatchford and Skenes went back-to-back with singles, followed by an RBI double from Garcia to make it 1-0. Gambale followed with a sac fly, and then an NM error made it 3-0 after one.
Â
After a scoreless second, AF kept the bats rolling in the third with a six spot on six hits to open up a 9-0 lead. Skenes got things started with a double, followed by a Garcia single to put two on. After a HBP, Altorfer singled in a pair. Another single loaded up the bags again, and then junior Alexander Pup doubled in two more to make it 7-0. Sophomore Blake Covin drove in run eight on a ground out, and then Zimmerman doubled in the sixth runner of the frame to make it a 9-0 game into the fourth.
Â
UNM got one back in the top of the fourth, but starting pitcher sophomore Jason Shuger struck out three more batters to up his total to six and keep it at 9-1. Shuger finished with a tied for season-high season-high seven Ks. AF got the run right back in the bottom of the fourth after a two out double by Altorfer was followed by an RBI single from Gillman to make it 10-1 into the fifth.
Â
The Lobos continued to hit in the top of the fifth, as they plated five more to put the score at 10-6 at the midway point. AF got a pair back in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double from Garcia, his fourth hit of the day, and RBI HBP from Altorfer to put the tally at 12-6 with four innings to play.
Â
New Mexico tallied another run in the top of the sixth on a solo homer, but no further damage was recorded to keep it at 12-7. AF then rallied with two outs in the bottom of the sixth with a trio of runs. Zimmerman tripled with two down and he was singled in by Blatchford to make it 13-7. The next batter, Skenes, then launched a two-run jack to left center to make it a 15-7 game into the seventh.
Â
The Lobo offense put up a pair more runs in the top of the seventh to make it 15-9 into the stretch. From there, Argo came on in relief and fired a scoreless eighth to send it to the ninth. In the ninth, NM scored a trio of runs, all unearned, on a three-run homer, but that was it in the 15-12 victory.
Â
AF and NM will be back in action tomorrow, May 9, for the series finale. The Mother's Day showdown is set for an 11 a.m. first pitch.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Byrnes, John (4-3)
L: HALEY, Matt (0-1)
S: Skenes, Paul (8)
Batting:
2B: CASTILLO, Kyler 1 ; LANDERS, Kyle 1 ; PODSEDNIK, Shane 1
HR: PODSEDNIK, Shane 1
RBI: LANDERS, Kyle 1 ; PODSEDNIK, Shane 1 ; GUTIERREZ, Jacob 2
Base Running:
RUNS: RUSSELL, Lance 1 ; CANO, Willie 1 ; PODSEDNIK, Shane 2
HBP: WEISSENBORN, Chase 1
PO: SCHNEIDER, Adam 1
Batting:
2B: Zimmerman, Cayden 1 ; Blatchford, Cole 2 ; Garcia, Gabriel 1
HR: Altorfer, Braydon 1
RBI: Skenes, Paul 2 ; Garcia, Gabriel 1 ; Altorfer, Braydon 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Zimmerman, Cayden 2 ; Blatchford, Cole 1 ; Altorfer, Braydon 1 ; Pup, Alexander 1 ; Covin, Blake 1
SB: Zimmerman, Cayden 1 ; Altorfer, Braydon 1 ; Covin, Blake 1
HBP: Zimmerman, Cayden 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
dh/p
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
C
/ Baseball
IF/OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
IF/OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
IF/OF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballC/RHP
/ BaseballIF/OF
/ BaseballFalcons win on senior day over New Mexico
Sunday, May 11
Lobos top Falcons to even series
Saturday, May 10
Falcons big 8th inning leads to win over Lobos
Friday, May 09
Falcons fall in series finale to Nevada
Sunday, April 27
