Air Force frustrated by Texas, drop Regional opener 11-3

AUSTIN, Texas- A shaky start on defense as well as an extended five-run Longhorns 5th inning were too much to overcome on Friday, as the Falcons fell 11-3 in Air Force's opening game of the NCAA Regionals.

Paul Skenes, who hadn't lost a start since March 18, was relieved after 4+ innings, having allowed seven hits and six runs (four earned) with four strikeouts and a pair of hit batters. The Longhorns were calculated in their approach at the plate, consistently prolonging counts and forcing Skenes into deep at-bats.

After the Falcons were set down in order in the 1st, the bottom half of the inning didn't go as planned for Air Force. Skenes began the afternoon with a hit batter, followed by consecutive errors in the field. The two errors led to two unearned runs, as Texas jumped out to an initial 2-0 lead.

Air Force sparked a two-out rally in the 2nd, as Jay Thomason pulled a single into right field before Trayden Tamiya lined a double down the left field line to score the Falcons third baseman. Thomason and Tamiya each finished 2-4.

Skenes stranded a pair of singles in the bottom of the 2nd, with some help from Tamiya who made an incredible diving play to his right to end the inning.

The Falcons leveled the score in the 3rd, and did so again with two outs. Blake Covin, who also ended his day 2-4, drew a two-out walk. One batter later, Gabriel Garcia smoked a double into the right-center gap to score Covin, tying the score at 2-2.

Texas quickly answered in the bottom of the 3rd. A leadoff double came around to score two batters later, as Skyler Messinger managed one of his four singles on the afternoon to give the Longhorns a 3-2 advantage.

Air Force created a threat in the 5th, as Cayden Zimmerman singled and Sam Kulasingam drew a walk to put two runners on with no outs. However, three-consecutive outs halted the scoring opportunity.

The score remained 3-2 going into the bottom of the 5th, where Texas blew open the ballgame. Ivan Melendez, the nation's leading slugger, doubled to start the inning. After a single and a hit batter, Skenes was pulled as Rob Martin entered with the bases loaded and no outs.

Martin allowed a single to Messinger to begin his outing, scoring two to give Texas a 5-2 lead. The senior forced a failed bunt attempt to result in an out, though after a walk loaded the bases and a hit-by-pitch scored the Longhorns sixth run, Martin was relieved by Duke Benge.

Benge did well to get out of the inning, though the Falcons third error and a sac fly produced two more Texas runs to give the host team a 8-2 lead going into the 6th.

Texas added another run with a RBI double in the 6th, though Jake Greiving's RBI single in the 7th brought the score to 9-3.

The Longhorns kept on hitting, adding two more in the 8th after a two-run double. In need of much more, the Falcons managed just two hits over the final two innings.

Air Force will await the result of the other two teams in the Austin Regional, as the Falcons will play the loser of tonight's Louisiana Tech-Dallas Baptist matchup tomorrow afternoon. Coach Kaz and the the rest of the dugout face an elimination game on Saturday, June 4, with first-pitch scheduled for 11:00 am MT.

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