Altorfer Hits For Cycle In Series Sweep Win Over New Mexico

USAFA, Colo. – The Air Force Academy baseball team swept a three-game series against New Mexico with a 10-3 victory Sunday afternoon, May 9, at Falcon Field. AF had plenty of milestones on the day as they moved to 20-18 on the season and back to .500 (12-12) in Mountain West play.

The sweep of the Lobos was the first three-game sweep for the Falcons over their MW rivals since 2002. On the day, AF had a season-high 21 hits, which was the first 20-plus hit game since tallying 20 against Nevada, April 28, 2019, and the most hits since notching 21 against UNM back on May 13, 2018.

Junior Braydon Altorfer had a historic day at the plate, notching a cycle as part of a career-high five-hit, four RBI game. It was the first cycle for a Falcon batter since Matt Alexander accomplished the feat back on April 2, 2008. His home run was his second of the weekend, while his triple was the first of his AF career.

Elsewhere on offense, every other starting batter had at least one hit, while six batters had multi-hit games. Junior Gabriel Garcia wrapped up a fantastic weekend with a three-hit effort, including two RBIs and two runs scored. Freshman Paul Skenes had a pair of knocks, including a double, to extend his hitting streak to 10 games and reached base streak to 25 games.

On the defensive side, junior Stevan Fairburn Jr. earned his fourth win of the season after tossing the first six innings, while striking out two. In relief, senior Ben Hauser earned the first save of his career after throwing the final three frames, and not allowing a run on three hits while striking out a career-best four batters.

The Falcons jumped ahead early in the finale, striking for a pair in the first. After a leadoff single from junior Cayden Zimmerman, he was eventually driven in with two outs on a single from Garcia. One batter later, Altorfer ripped a double down the line in left to plate another and make it 2-0 after one.

AF added five more in the second on seven more hits. After a leadoff double from freshman Sam Kulasingam and single from junior Alexander Pup, Zimmerman drove in a run on a single. After another single loaded the bases, Garcia drove home one, and another scored on an error to make it 5-0. After that, AF got RBI singles from senior Christian Gambale and Altorfer to put the lead at 7-0 after two.

Following a scoreless third, NM got on board in the fourth on a solo homer but that was it to keep it 7-1. They tacked on another with a second solo homer to make it a 7-2 game at the midway point. The Falcons got one of the runs back in the bottom of the fifth on a solo homer of their own from Altorfer to get the lead back to six with four innings to play.

The homer party continued for NM in the sixth with a third solo job, but Fairburn stranded a pair of other base runners to keep the 8-3 advantage into the seventh. Hauser came on from the pen to start the seventh and pitched a quick frame with a K. AF then got another run back in the bottom of the seventh, as senior Tommy Gillman drove in Altorfer with a double after Altorfer's triple to complete the cycle. With two frames to play, AF led 9-3.

Hauser worked around a bases loaded jam in the top of the eighth, and AF added to the lead in the bottom half on another RBI single from Altorfer for his fifth hit of the game. Then in the top of the ninth, Hauser worked around a double to lock down the three-inning save and the 10-3 victory.

The Falcons will be back in action next Friday-Sunday, May 14-16, for a four game set against San Jose State at Falcon Field.

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