Thomason, Gehring save the day, Falcons claim Sunday finale with 6-5 win

SAN JOSE- With a tied score in the 9th, Jay Thomason's solo home run and Doyle Gehring's second save in as many days were just enough to see Air Force produce a series-winning 6-5 victory in Sunday's finale against San Jose State.

With two outs in a 5-5 game, Thomason lifted a solo home run in the final inning to give Air Force a one-run lead. The senior finished the day 2-4, driving in a run in the 5th with a sacrifice fly. Now with 42 career home runs, the C1C sits one home run shy of tying Tyler Jones for fourth all-time at Air Force.

Closing the weekend 6-14 (.429), Greiving added two more hits on Sunday. The senior also drove in a run in the 5th with an infield single, tying the score at 4-4.

Chase Spencer had a multi-hit day, going 2-3 with a bases-loaded walk in the 5th, as the free-pass put the Falcons back in front 5-4. Spencer also added a stolen base to his Sunday stat line, as he's 10-10 in that department in 15 games this season to lead the Mountain West.

Walker Zapp was 1-4 with a double, while Ben Niednagel drove in a run and scored as part of a 1-4 day as well.

Making his fourth start of the season, Ben Weber cruised over his first two innings, but ran into some trouble in the 3rd. His line closed at 3.0 innings, allowing four runs with five hits and two walks.

Kyle Moats managed a career-high four strikeouts over his 2.2 innings, doing well to keep Air Force in the ballgame. The senior southpaw eventually surrendered a two-out, game-tying RBI triple in the 6th near the end of his rope as San Jose State tied the game at 5-5.

Gaines Estridge pitched 0.2 innings, retiring the final out of the 6th to keep the game level.

Jimmy Hebenstreit, picking up his first collegiate win on Sunday, did so deservedly. With one on and one out in the 7th, Hebenstreit worked around a hit-batter to induce a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Hebenstreit followed a scoreless 7th with a perfect 8th, retiring the side in order.

In the 9th, after consecutive flyouts from Aerik Joe and Sam Kulasingam, Thomason launched the go-ahead home run to right-center to give the Falcons a one-run lead.

Doyle Gehring, after throwing 3.2 innings to secure his first save of the season on Saturday, was called upon yet again to close the ballgame. The right-hander picked up two outs to begin the inning, but two singles and a walk loaded the bases, putting the winning run at second base.

Even so, Gehring managed to force a game-ending fielder's choice, as Thomason poetically stepped on third base to reward Air Force with its first conference series win of 2024.

Gehring, with two saves in two days, threw 4.2 scoreless innings in his two appearances. After six-consecutive losses, the Falcons have now won two in a row, moving Air Force to 6-9 overall and 2-1 in Mountain West play.

Next, Air Force will make its long-awaited home debut on Friday, March 15 when the Falcons take on San Diego State.

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