Air Force defeated in extras in series finale at UNLV

LAS VEGAS- Owning a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the 9th, the Falcons saw the Rebels score the game's final three runs, as Air Force dropped Sunday's rubber game 6-5 in 10 innings.

Jay Thomason broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the 9th with his second home run in as many days. The two-run homer, his seventh of the spring, gives Thomason sole possession of third-place on the all-time home run list at Air Force with 44 career dingers.

Aerik Joe was 2-5, bringing in a run with an RBI single in the 2nd to tie the game at 1-1. Zach Peters was again slotted into left field and again provided some thump, going 2-4 as his two-run double in the 4th tied the game at 3-3.

After allowing three runs in his first three innings on the mound, Ben Weber took control the remainder of his afternoon, throwing four shutout innings between the 4th and 7th innings.

Weber held the Rebels to just six hits over 7.0 innings, picking up 12 groundouts over his 114 pitches.

Jimmy Hebenstreit entered the game in the 8th where he retired UNLV in order to send the 3-3 game into the 9th. There, Thomason slugged the go-ahead two-run home run, setting up Hebenstreit for the win. However, the Rebels connected on a two-run home run of their own in the bottom half of the inning.

Dylan Rogers, after throwing just one inning on Saturday, came into the game in the 9th, inducing the final three outs to send the game to extra innings.

After Air Force was retired in order in the top of the 10th, Rogers walked the first batter he faced on four pitches. In a 1-2 count to the following batter, Rogers saw a deep fly ball to center field. Chase Spencer appeared to have it tracked down, though the baseball wasn't secured in his glove, allowing the winning run to score from first.

The Falcons are 3-5 in Mountain West play since winning five of its first six conference games. Air Force is also 0-3 in extra innings this season.

Next, Air Force will again host Northern Colorado for a midweek ballgame, as the two teams will meet at Erdle Field on Tuesday, April 9.

Footer

The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the u.s air force of non-u.s. government sites or the information, products, or services contained therein. Although the u.s. air force may or may not use these sites as additional distribution channels for department of defense information, it does not exercise editorial control over all of the information that you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this website.