Air Force unable to catch up to Kansas in 13-9 loss

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.- The Falcons struggled to keep pace with the Jayhawks on Wednesday, dropping the concluding game of the two-game midweek series 13-9.

Gabriel Garcia hit the 7th and 8th home runs of his 2022 season this afternoon, marking his first-career multi-homer game. Garcia finished the day 3-5 with 4 RBI. Sam Kulasingam grew his hitting streak to 16-consecutive games after a 3-6 day at the plate, including two doubles and 2 RBI. The sophomore has now reached base in 28-consecutive games and in 39 of 41 games this season.

Trayden Tamiya reached base in all four of his plate appearances, going 3-3 with a double and a walk. Aerik Joe was 2-3, while Jay Thomason drove in a run with a double in the 8th.

Stevan Fairburn Jr. made his first start of 2022, allowing seven runs on nine hits with three strikeouts in his 3.0 innings of work. Ryan Stohr and Rob Martin saw a run cross in their respective 2.0 innings, while Zach Argo surrendered a grand slam in the 8th to encompass his pitching line over two innings.

Kansas managed the first seven runs of the game to lead 7-0 after the Jayhawks first three turns at the plate. Garcia's first home run of the day, a two-run, opposite field blast in the 3rd cut the Kansas lead to 7-2. After a scoreless Jayhawks top of the 4th, Kulasingam doubled home a run, followed by a Blake Covin RBI ground out and a Garcia RBI single to trim the lead to 7-5.

Both dugouts added runs in the 5th and 7th with the score sitting at 9-7 going into the 8th. In Argo's first inning of work, the senior allowed a leadoff single before an error and an intentional walk loaded the bases with one out. Kansas' Nolan Metcalf capped his 5-5 day with a grand slam to build the Jayhawks lead to 13-7. Never without fight, the Falcons offense continued to keep the ballgame interesting. A Garcia home run and a Thomason RBI double in the bottom of the 8th bit into the visitor's lead, now 13-9.

To start the bottom of the 9th, Tamiya doubled off the left field wall and was immediately followed by a Joe single. With runners at first and second, Braydon Altorfer, who entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the 7th, launched a fly ball deep to left field caught at the warning track. Kulasingam then grounded into a 4-6-4 double play to end the ballgame.

Next, Air Force welcomes Mountain West leader UNLV to Falcon Field for a three-game series starting Friday, April 29. First-pitch on Friday is scheduled for 3:00 pm MT.

Footer

The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the u.s air force of non-u.s. government sites or the information, products, or services contained therein. Although the u.s. air force may or may not use these sites as additional distribution channels for department of defense information, it does not exercise editorial control over all of the information that you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this website.