Friday, February 24
Kinston, NC
4:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
1-4
3
vs
5
Navy
1-4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Air Force
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
0
0
3
6
0
Navy
2
1
0
0
0
1
0
1
X
5
7
1
Air Force drops narrow ballgame to Navy
2/24/2023 7:54:00 PM | Baseball
KINSTON, N.C.- The Air Force bats eventually found a spark, but their ignition was too little too late, as the Falcons were on the wrong end of Friday's 5-3 score versus Navy.
Making his second start of the spring, Doyle Gehring was a bit erratic over his first couple of innings, but later settled into a rhythm. In spite of a high pitch-count early on, Gehring eventually completed 5.0 innings, allowing three runs on five hits to go with six strikeouts.
Gehring retired the side in order in each of his final three innings of work.
Chase Spencer launched his third home run of the season in just his fifth game, a majestic blast to straightaway center field in the 7th. Jake Greiving narrowly missed a home run of his own in the 4th, but in the 6th, he settled for an RBI triple to score the first Falcons run of the game.
Charlie Jones, pinch-hitting in the 7th, manufactured his first collegiate knock to score a run, as the freshman dumped a base-hit into left center field to put Air Force within a run.
Matt Thompson made his first start of 2023 on Friday, and was the lone Falcon with multiple hits.
Trailing 4-1 entering the 7th, Air Force made a valiant attempt to reset the scoreboard. Spencer's home run trimmed the lead to 4-2, while an Aerik Joe walk and a Navy error put the go-ahead run at the plate.
After a fielder's choice placed runners on the corners with one out, Jones' RBI single narrowed the Navy lead to 4-3. One batter later, Thompson collected the second of his two base-hits a batter later, loading the bases with one out. However, Sam Kulasingam struck out swinging, while a Greiving sinking line drive into right field was caught by a diving Navy right fielder.
Air Force is now 0-10 with the bases loaded thus far in 2023.
Over the final two innings, Air Force was retired consecutively in the 8th and 9th. The Falcons struck out 10 times on Friday, and have gone down on strikes in 27% of their plate appearances over the team's first five games.
The Falcons and Midshipmen will resume the Freedom Classic on Saturday, February 25, with first-pitch scheduled for 12:00 pm MT.
Making his second start of the spring, Doyle Gehring was a bit erratic over his first couple of innings, but later settled into a rhythm. In spite of a high pitch-count early on, Gehring eventually completed 5.0 innings, allowing three runs on five hits to go with six strikeouts.
Gehring retired the side in order in each of his final three innings of work.
Chase Spencer launched his third home run of the season in just his fifth game, a majestic blast to straightaway center field in the 7th. Jake Greiving narrowly missed a home run of his own in the 4th, but in the 6th, he settled for an RBI triple to score the first Falcons run of the game.
Charlie Jones, pinch-hitting in the 7th, manufactured his first collegiate knock to score a run, as the freshman dumped a base-hit into left center field to put Air Force within a run.
Matt Thompson made his first start of 2023 on Friday, and was the lone Falcon with multiple hits.
Trailing 4-1 entering the 7th, Air Force made a valiant attempt to reset the scoreboard. Spencer's home run trimmed the lead to 4-2, while an Aerik Joe walk and a Navy error put the go-ahead run at the plate.
After a fielder's choice placed runners on the corners with one out, Jones' RBI single narrowed the Navy lead to 4-3. One batter later, Thompson collected the second of his two base-hits a batter later, loading the bases with one out. However, Sam Kulasingam struck out swinging, while a Greiving sinking line drive into right field was caught by a diving Navy right fielder.
Air Force is now 0-10 with the bases loaded thus far in 2023.
Over the final two innings, Air Force was retired consecutively in the 8th and 9th. The Falcons struck out 10 times on Friday, and have gone down on strikes in 27% of their plate appearances over the team's first five games.
The Falcons and Midshipmen will resume the Freedom Classic on Saturday, February 25, with first-pitch scheduled for 12:00 pm MT.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Mitchell, Nate (1-1)
L: Gehring, Doyle (0-1)
S: Early, Reece (1)
Batting:
3B: Greiving, Jake 1
HR: Spencer, Chase 1
RBI: Greiving, Jake 1 ; Spencer, Chase 1 ; Jones, Charlie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kulasingam, Sam 1 ; Spencer, Chase 1 ; Joe, Aerik 1
HBP: Kulasingam, Sam 1
Batting:
2B: Smith, Colin 1 ; Keller, Logan 1
HR: Keller, Logan 1 ; Rausch, Kyle 1
RBI: Keller, Logan 3 ; Rausch, Kyle 1 ; Diaz, Eduardo 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Burch, Nick 1 ; Smith, Colin 1 ; Keller, Logan 1 ; Murtha, Brock 1 ; Rausch, Kyle 1
SB: Burch, Nick 1
HBP: Burch, Nick 1 ; Rausch, Kyle 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP
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