Saturday, March 16
11:00 am MT
Air Force Academy
7-9, 0
10
vs
3
San Diego State University
6-11, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
San Diego State
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
3
6
2
Air Force
0
1
2
0
6
1
0
0
X
10
4
0
Photo by: Rayna Schmidt
Falcons sweep DH against Aztecs
3/16/2024 7:45:00 PM | Baseball
COLORADO SPRINGS-Â Though cold weather dampened what was supposed to be home-opening weekend, the Falcons felt right at home at Rawlings Field in Pueblo, as Air Force claimed both games of Saturday's doubleheader by scores of 10-3 and 7-5.
Game One (San Diego State 3, Air Force 10)
Seungmin Shim offered a career-best performance in the first leg of the March 16 doubleheader, notching a new career-high in strikeouts to help guide Air Force to a 10-3 win.
Shim was masterful, tossing 7.0 shutout innings while punching out 11 batters, besting his previous career-high of 10 set on February 23 of this year. Allowing just three hits, Shim provided multiple strikeouts in four of his seven innings, including striking out the side in the 7th.
The C1C did not allow an Aztec baserunner past second base the entirety of the afternoon. After 7.0 scoreless frames, Shim's ERA now sits at 3.25 while carrying an 11.4 K/9 in 27.2 innings this season.
The Falcons managed just four hits in Game One, but Air Force worked 11 walks, leading to 10 runs.
Aerik Joe was the only Falcon to drive in a run with a hit, as he produced a two-run single in the 5th to cap a six-run inning. Joe concluded Game One 1-5.
Ben Niednagel produced a run in the 2nd, laying down an RBI bunt. In the 3rd, Chris Stallings saw a run come home following a bases-loaded double play, while Jay Thomason scored on a wild pitch.
The six-run 5th began with the bases-loaded and one out, as a Sam Kulasingam walk and a Thomason double were followed by Jake Greiving drawing a free pass. Stallings bounced a chopper to third allowing Kulasingam to score, while Chase Spencer drew a bases-loaded walk one batter later.
Now up 5-0, Greiving would eventually score after a pitch hit the backstop. Spencer, who also stole second, found himself at third after Landon Boyd was plunked and Walker Zapp drew the fourth walk of the inning. As the San Diego State left-hander went into the full windup with the bases full, Spencer took off due to the prolonged delivery, sliding in safely with a steal of home.
Joe's two-run single would see Air Force up 9-0 through five innings.
In the 6th, with runners on the corners and two outs, Spencer placed himself in a pickle, allowing Stallings to score before the Air Force centerfielder was tagged out between first and second, creating a 10-0 lead.
In spite of three Aztec runs in the 9th, Air Force would cruise to its third-consecutive Mountain West win.
The Falcons 11 walks are the second-most in a game this season, as Air Force's 12 free passes against Navy on February 23 remains a season-high.
Game Two (San Diego State 5, Air Force 7)
Perhaps inspired by his rotation mate, Dylan Rogers also crafted a collegiate-best outing on the mound, as Air Force secured the doubleheader sweep with a 7-5 win.
Rogers bested his previous career-long with 8.0 innings of one-run ball, matching his career-high with eight strikeouts. In true Rogers fashion, 11 of his 24 outs came on the ground. The junior's ERA drops to 2.33, the lowest among qualified Air Force pitchers.Â
At the plate, Aerik Joe led all Falcons with a 3-5 line, including a two-run triple and an RBI single. Chase Spencer was 2-5 with two doubles, while Jay Thomason added two hits as well.Â
Thomason scored the game's first run in his first at-bat, launching a deep fly ball to right-center that would ultimately be misplayed by the Aztecs outfield. Thomason sprinted home after the error to plate the Falcons opening run.Â
San Diego State mostly stymied the Air Force offense for most of the game, but a five-run explosion in the 6th helped the Falcons pull away.
Walks by Landon Boyd and Ben Niednagel preceded Joe stepping into the box with two on and one out in a 1-0 ballgame. The Falcons shortstop lined a deep fly ball into the right field corner, resulting in a two-run triple to give Air Force a 3-0 lead.
Sam Kulasingam would score Joe with a fielder's choice, to see Air Force up 4-0, though a freshman would provide ultimately the game's biggest swing. Christian Taylor, pinch-hitting for Chris Stallings due to an injury in the middle of his plate appearance, lined a two-run double over the head of the San Diego State right fielder to extend the Falcons lead to 6-0.
The double stands as Taylor's first extra-base hit of his college career.
Joe's RBI single an inning later would reward Air Force with a 7-0 lead after seven innings.
Leading 7-1 in the final inning, the Falcons saw the Aztecs make the outcome less certain. A San Diego State grand slam dented the Air Force lead to 7-5, requiring Doyle Gehring to close the ballgame. Gehring would go on to retire all three batters he faced, including a strikeout to end the game.
The win stands as Air Force's fourth-consecutive victory, directly following a six-game losing streak. As a result, the Falcons have won four of the first five conference games on its schedule.
Tomorrow, Air Force will go for the sweep when the Falcons conclude their series with the Aztecs on Sunday, March 17 at Rawlings Field in Pueblo. First-pitch is tentatively slated for 11:30 am MT.
Game One (San Diego State 3, Air Force 10)
Seungmin Shim offered a career-best performance in the first leg of the March 16 doubleheader, notching a new career-high in strikeouts to help guide Air Force to a 10-3 win.
Shim was masterful, tossing 7.0 shutout innings while punching out 11 batters, besting his previous career-high of 10 set on February 23 of this year. Allowing just three hits, Shim provided multiple strikeouts in four of his seven innings, including striking out the side in the 7th.
The C1C did not allow an Aztec baserunner past second base the entirety of the afternoon. After 7.0 scoreless frames, Shim's ERA now sits at 3.25 while carrying an 11.4 K/9 in 27.2 innings this season.
The Falcons managed just four hits in Game One, but Air Force worked 11 walks, leading to 10 runs.
Aerik Joe was the only Falcon to drive in a run with a hit, as he produced a two-run single in the 5th to cap a six-run inning. Joe concluded Game One 1-5.
Ben Niednagel produced a run in the 2nd, laying down an RBI bunt. In the 3rd, Chris Stallings saw a run come home following a bases-loaded double play, while Jay Thomason scored on a wild pitch.
The six-run 5th began with the bases-loaded and one out, as a Sam Kulasingam walk and a Thomason double were followed by Jake Greiving drawing a free pass. Stallings bounced a chopper to third allowing Kulasingam to score, while Chase Spencer drew a bases-loaded walk one batter later.
Now up 5-0, Greiving would eventually score after a pitch hit the backstop. Spencer, who also stole second, found himself at third after Landon Boyd was plunked and Walker Zapp drew the fourth walk of the inning. As the San Diego State left-hander went into the full windup with the bases full, Spencer took off due to the prolonged delivery, sliding in safely with a steal of home.
Joe's two-run single would see Air Force up 9-0 through five innings.
In the 6th, with runners on the corners and two outs, Spencer placed himself in a pickle, allowing Stallings to score before the Air Force centerfielder was tagged out between first and second, creating a 10-0 lead.
In spite of three Aztec runs in the 9th, Air Force would cruise to its third-consecutive Mountain West win.
The Falcons 11 walks are the second-most in a game this season, as Air Force's 12 free passes against Navy on February 23 remains a season-high.
Game Two (San Diego State 5, Air Force 7)
Perhaps inspired by his rotation mate, Dylan Rogers also crafted a collegiate-best outing on the mound, as Air Force secured the doubleheader sweep with a 7-5 win.
Rogers bested his previous career-long with 8.0 innings of one-run ball, matching his career-high with eight strikeouts. In true Rogers fashion, 11 of his 24 outs came on the ground. The junior's ERA drops to 2.33, the lowest among qualified Air Force pitchers.Â
At the plate, Aerik Joe led all Falcons with a 3-5 line, including a two-run triple and an RBI single. Chase Spencer was 2-5 with two doubles, while Jay Thomason added two hits as well.Â
Thomason scored the game's first run in his first at-bat, launching a deep fly ball to right-center that would ultimately be misplayed by the Aztecs outfield. Thomason sprinted home after the error to plate the Falcons opening run.Â
San Diego State mostly stymied the Air Force offense for most of the game, but a five-run explosion in the 6th helped the Falcons pull away.
Walks by Landon Boyd and Ben Niednagel preceded Joe stepping into the box with two on and one out in a 1-0 ballgame. The Falcons shortstop lined a deep fly ball into the right field corner, resulting in a two-run triple to give Air Force a 3-0 lead.
Sam Kulasingam would score Joe with a fielder's choice, to see Air Force up 4-0, though a freshman would provide ultimately the game's biggest swing. Christian Taylor, pinch-hitting for Chris Stallings due to an injury in the middle of his plate appearance, lined a two-run double over the head of the San Diego State right fielder to extend the Falcons lead to 6-0.
The double stands as Taylor's first extra-base hit of his college career.
Joe's RBI single an inning later would reward Air Force with a 7-0 lead after seven innings.
Leading 7-1 in the final inning, the Falcons saw the Aztecs make the outcome less certain. A San Diego State grand slam dented the Air Force lead to 7-5, requiring Doyle Gehring to close the ballgame. Gehring would go on to retire all three batters he faced, including a strikeout to end the game.
The win stands as Air Force's fourth-consecutive victory, directly following a six-game losing streak. As a result, the Falcons have won four of the first five conference games on its schedule.
Tomorrow, Air Force will go for the sweep when the Falcons conclude their series with the Aztecs on Sunday, March 17 at Rawlings Field in Pueblo. First-pitch is tentatively slated for 11:30 am MT.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Shim, Seungmin (2-1)
L: RIORDAN, Jacob (2-1)
Batting:
2B: WEEMS, Irvin 1 ; BETHANCOURT, Tino 1
RBI: JACKSON, Jake 1 ; SIPE, Evan 1 ; GONZALEZ, Xavier 1
Base Running:
RUNS: WEEMS, Irvin 1 ; MCCOMBS, Jacob 1 ; BETHANCOURT, Tino 1
CS: LAVOIE, Brady 1
HBP: MCCOMBS, Jacob 1
PO: LAVOIE, Brady 1
Batting:
2B: Thomason, Jay 1
RBI: Joe, Aerik 2 ; Stallings, Chris 1 ; Niednagel, Ben 1
SH: Zapp, Walker 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kulasingam, Sam 2 ; Thomason, Jay 2 ; Greiving, Jake 1 ; Stallings, Chris 1 ; Spencer, Chase 2 ; Boyd, Landon 1 ; Zapp, Walker 1
SB: Stallings, Chris 1 ; Spencer, Chase 3 ; Boyd, Landon 1 ; Zapp, Walker 1
CS: Joe, Aerik 1 ; Spencer, Chase 1
HBP: Spencer, Chase 1 ; Boyd, Landon 1 ; Niednagel, Ben 1
PO: Spencer, Chase 1 ; Boyd, Landon 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
2
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C
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RHP
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OF/DH
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballOF/RHP
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
UT
/ BaseballIF
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C
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