Falcons can't stave off Bulldogs, drop opener 8-4

STARKVILLE- Opening the 2024 season in front a record crowd at Dudy Noble Field, Air Force was unable to keep Mississippi State at bay, as the hosts rallied to claim an 8-4 series-opening win.

Sam Kulasingam, leading off the Falcons lineup, finished 1-4 with an intentional walk, lining the first pitch of 2024 up the middle for a base-hit. The senior extended his on-base streak to 56 games and his hitting streak to 23-straight games.

Jay Thomason slugged his first home run of the new season in the 5th, a solo shot the opposite way. The C1C now owns 38 career home runs, 12 shy of tying Nic Ready for the program record. He finished 1-4, drawing a walk in his five plate appearances.

Jack Bello and Walker Zapp were the lone Air Force players to produce multiple hits, as both sophomores doubled as part of their 2-4 afternoons. Friday marks the first multi-hit game of Bello's collegiate career, as well as Zapp's first multi-hit performance since May 14, 2023 against San Diego State. The pair were responsible for driving in two of the Falcons four runs.

Furthering the run of streaks, Aerik Joe's on-base tally now stands at 35 games following a 1st inning infield single, while Chase Spencer's 3rd inning double stretched his on-base run to 29-consecutive games.

Jake Greiving also doubled, as the senior closed the night 1-4.

Seungmin Shim provided the Falcons with 5.0 quality innings, allowing just two earned runs as the result of five hits and two walks. Shim matched his career-high with seven strikeouts over 81 pitches in his 2024 debut.

Air Force opened the scoring, as Bello's RBI single through the left side scored Kulasingam to give the Falcons an initial 1-0 lead. Though the Bulldogs plated two 1st-inning runs of their own, Zapp tied the game in the 4th with a run-scoring double. Air Force reclaimed the lead in the 5th, as Thomason's solo homer and Stallings' RBI double later in the inning propelled the Falcons to a 4-2 lead.

Following Shim was Kyle Moats, who inherited a 4-3 lead in the 6th. The Bulldogs eventually created three runs over his 1.1 innings to regain a 6-4 lead. Cooper Loveridge followed Moats, allowing two runs in his 1.0 inning of work.

Sam Hentges, making his collegiate debut in the 8th, induced a groundout and a lineout in his first-ever Air Force appearance.

Trailing 8-4 in the final frame, Air Force was retired in order to close Opening Day. The announced crowd of 11,216 now stands as the largest-ever crowd to open a new season at the fabled Dudy Noble Field.

Tomorrow, Air Force will look to rebound against Mississippi State, with the second game of the series slated to begin at 3:00 pm MT.

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