Falcons split DH, take series over Spartans

SAN JOSE, Calif.- Air Force and San Jose State matched up in a pair of ballgames on Saturday, as the Falcons saw the Spartans claim Game One before the visitors triumphed in Game Two to mark a series win for Air Force.

GAME ONE (Air Force 4, San Jose State 5)
In spite of a tremendous start from Dylan Rogers, the Falcons were unable to defend their lead against the charging Spartans, as San Jose State walked off Air Force in 11 innings.

Rogers managed a season-high 7.1 IP, having allowed four runs with nine hits and four strikeouts. The sophomore didn't allow a free pass to any of the 31 batters he faced while inducing 13 ground ball outs.

Sam Kulasingam and Trayden Tamiya each had a pair of hits and a RBI to pace the top of the order. Matt Thompson, Aerik Joe, and Chase Spencer also had two hits each, while Blake Covin slugged his first home run of the season, a solo shot in the 7th.

Eight of Air Force's nine starts managed at least one hit.

Leading 4-1 in the 8th, Rogers saw three of the first four batters reach, as the Spartans trimmed the Falcons advantage to 4-2 while forcing Rogers' exit in favor of Duke Benge. With two in scoring position, consecutive wild pitches saw both runners score to tie the ballgame.

Zach Peters was called upon in the 9th and held his own, escaping jams in each of his first two innings. However, in the 11th, San Jose State saw a walk-off double score the winning run.

GAME TWO (Air Force 9, San Jose State 5)
Air Force didn't allow the heartbreak of Game One to bleed into Game Two, as the Falcons overcame an early deficit to roll to a 9-5 win.

Blake Covin had a big day out of the nine-hole, going 3-5 with a solo homer and three runs scored. Trayden Tamiya also had three hits while driving in a run. Sam Kulasingam reached base in four of his six plate appearances, going 2-4 (3B, 2B, 1 RBI) with two walks.

Jake Greiving and T.J. Oster each had two hits as well, while Chase Spencer managed a double, walk, and RBI.

After trailing 2-0 after the 1st inning, Air Force would go on to score seven unanswered runs.

Seungmin Shim battled for 5.2 innings, allowing just four runs on six hits. While he won't be pleased with his four walks, he did keep the ball on the ground, managing nine ground outs.

Jake Sansing was vital to the Air Force effort, as he took the baseball in the 6th and worked out of a jam to keep the Falcons 7-4 lead intact. Sansing would go on to earn his first-career save as part of his 3.1-inning performance. The senior was just what the Falcons needed, allowing just one run to go with five hits, two walks and a strikeout.

Next, the Falcons will stay within the Mountain West, traveling to San Diego State to play the Aztecs for a weekend series starting March 24.

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Team Stats

Sam Kulasingam

Trayden Tamiya

Matt Thompson

Aerik Joe

Players Mentioned

Duke Benge

Blake Covin

Jake Greiving

Aerik Joe

Sam Kulasingam

T.J. Oster

Zach Peters

Dylan Rogers

Jake Sansing

Seungmin Shim

Chase Spencer

Trayden Tamiya

Matt Thompson

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