Friday, May 13
USAFA
1:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
24-25, 0
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San Jose State University
26-24, 0
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9
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San Jose State
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Air Force Academy
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Photo by: Laura Domingue
Skenes goes eight strong, Falcons win 4-2
5/13/2022 4:22:00 PM | Baseball
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.- With the the final seed of the Mountain West Tournament still up for grabs, Air Force is in need of every win it can manage. On Friday, the Falcons took care of business, as Paul Skenes gave his dugout eight strong innings on the mound, earning his eighth win of the spring in today's 4-2 victory over the Spartans.
Skenes was his formidable self this afternoon, resetting career-highs on the way to the win. The sophomore lasted eight innings, striking out 10 to mark new career-bests in both categories. Skenes didn't allow a run until the 8th, having surrendered just four hits through seven innings. Skenes is the first Falcons pitcher to record at least 10 strikeouts since Jason Shuger struck out 11 hitters at Duke on February 24, 2020. With his eighth win, Skenes also becomes only the 10th Air Force hurler to record at least eight wins in program history.
Zach Argo entered in the 9th and secured his second save of 2022, striking out the side while scattering an infield hit.
Sam Kulasingam recorded a team-high three hits with a RBI in four plate appearances, all singles. With 86 hits thus far in 2022, Kulasingam is tied with Mark Frankenberg for 5th all-time regarding hits in a single season in program history. As well, the sophomore is nine knocks away from tying Bradley Haslam's record of 95 hits set in 2016.
Gabriel Garcia was 1-3 with 2 RBI, slugging a solo shot in the 8th, his 11th of the spring. Garcia also drove home a run with a sacrifice fly in the 1st. Out of the eight-hole, Aerik Joe was 2-3 with a double and a run scored, while Blake Covin managed a double as well in his four at-bats.
The Falcons opened the scoring in the 1st, as Kulasingam singled and was moved to third after Covin pulled a double down the right field line. Garcia proceeded to send a sac fly into right field, scoring Kulasingam. In the 2nd, Trayden Tamiya reached after a San Jose State error and advanced to second following a Joe single. Cayden Zimmerman's ground out to the pitcher pushed Tamiya and Joe into scoring position before Kulasingam lined a hard grounder through the right side of the infield to score both runners, putting Air Force up 3-0.
After the end of the 2nd, the ballgame unraveled into a pitcher's duel. Neither side recorded a run until the 8th, where Skenes found himself in a bit of trouble. The Falcons began the inning with a ground out, though the Spartans followed the leadoff out with three-consecutive hits, including an RBI double. The Air Force dugout opted to intentionally walk the Mountain West leader in home runs, Hunter Dorraugh, to load the bases. Still with one out, Skenes saw a passed ball allow a run to score, with Air Force clinging to a 3-2 lead.
With runners in scoring position and one out, Skenes proceeded to strike out the next two batters to maintain the 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the 8th. In need of insurance, Garcia delivered with a solo home run to open the bottom half of the 8th, extending the Falcons lead to 4-2.
Argo was tasked with closing the game in the final inning, striking out the first two batters he faced before allowing an infield single. With the tying run at the plate, Argo was the victor of an eight-pitch at-bat, striking out the final batter of the game to lock down the 4-2 win.
With Fresno State still to play later this evening, Air Force sits a half game out of the fourth seed of the Mountain West Tournament.
Game Two between Air Force and San Jose State is scheduled for 12 pm MT on Saturday, May 14.
Skenes was his formidable self this afternoon, resetting career-highs on the way to the win. The sophomore lasted eight innings, striking out 10 to mark new career-bests in both categories. Skenes didn't allow a run until the 8th, having surrendered just four hits through seven innings. Skenes is the first Falcons pitcher to record at least 10 strikeouts since Jason Shuger struck out 11 hitters at Duke on February 24, 2020. With his eighth win, Skenes also becomes only the 10th Air Force hurler to record at least eight wins in program history.
Zach Argo entered in the 9th and secured his second save of 2022, striking out the side while scattering an infield hit.
Sam Kulasingam recorded a team-high three hits with a RBI in four plate appearances, all singles. With 86 hits thus far in 2022, Kulasingam is tied with Mark Frankenberg for 5th all-time regarding hits in a single season in program history. As well, the sophomore is nine knocks away from tying Bradley Haslam's record of 95 hits set in 2016.
Gabriel Garcia was 1-3 with 2 RBI, slugging a solo shot in the 8th, his 11th of the spring. Garcia also drove home a run with a sacrifice fly in the 1st. Out of the eight-hole, Aerik Joe was 2-3 with a double and a run scored, while Blake Covin managed a double as well in his four at-bats.
The Falcons opened the scoring in the 1st, as Kulasingam singled and was moved to third after Covin pulled a double down the right field line. Garcia proceeded to send a sac fly into right field, scoring Kulasingam. In the 2nd, Trayden Tamiya reached after a San Jose State error and advanced to second following a Joe single. Cayden Zimmerman's ground out to the pitcher pushed Tamiya and Joe into scoring position before Kulasingam lined a hard grounder through the right side of the infield to score both runners, putting Air Force up 3-0.
After the end of the 2nd, the ballgame unraveled into a pitcher's duel. Neither side recorded a run until the 8th, where Skenes found himself in a bit of trouble. The Falcons began the inning with a ground out, though the Spartans followed the leadoff out with three-consecutive hits, including an RBI double. The Air Force dugout opted to intentionally walk the Mountain West leader in home runs, Hunter Dorraugh, to load the bases. Still with one out, Skenes saw a passed ball allow a run to score, with Air Force clinging to a 3-2 lead.
With runners in scoring position and one out, Skenes proceeded to strike out the next two batters to maintain the 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the 8th. In need of insurance, Garcia delivered with a solo home run to open the bottom half of the 8th, extending the Falcons lead to 4-2.
Argo was tasked with closing the game in the final inning, striking out the first two batters he faced before allowing an infield single. With the tying run at the plate, Argo was the victor of an eight-pitch at-bat, striking out the final batter of the game to lock down the 4-2 win.
With Fresno State still to play later this evening, Air Force sits a half game out of the fourth seed of the Mountain West Tournament.
Game Two between Air Force and San Jose State is scheduled for 12 pm MT on Saturday, May 14.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Skenes, Paul (8-2)
L: Clark (1-4)
S: Argo, Zach (2)
Batting:
2B: Hamchuk 1 ; McAdoo 1
RBI: McAdoo 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hamchuk 1 ; Hernandez 1
Batting:
2B: Covin, Blake 1 ; Joe, Aerik 1
HR: Garcia, Gabriel 1
RBI: Kulasingam, Sam 2 ; Garcia, Gabriel 2
SH: Zimmerman, Cayden 1
SF: Garcia, Gabriel 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kulasingam, Sam 1 ; Garcia, Gabriel 1 ; Tamiya, Trayden 1 ; Joe, Aerik 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
OF
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballIF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C/RHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
IF/OF
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