Falcons Fall Against Navy to Split the Series

KINSTON, N.C., - Air Force baseball (1-6) dropped game two of the Freedom Classic to Navy (1-4), 7-2, on Saturday afternoon at Grainger Stadium. Across five pitchers, the Falcons collected 10 strikeouts, but allowed seven runs off eight hits. The hitters put up two runs off five hits and drew a trio of walks.

Walker Zapp led the Falcons at the plate, accounting for one hit and RBIs for both runs scored. Ben Niednagel went 2-for-3 as the only Air Force batter to mark a multi-hit game, and scored one run.

Pitching wise, Gaines Estridge (0-1) took his second start of the season, throwing 4.2 innings with three strikeouts. He was ultimately credited with the loss after allowing two runs off four hits. In relief, Easton Miller tallied a trio of strikeouts and allowed two runs, one unearned, in 1.2 innings. Gunner Gilmore entered to close the game after seeing appearances from Davis Rhyne (1.0 IP) and Joey Collier (0.2 IP). The freshman threw the final inning for his first mound appearance as a Falcon, notching two strikeouts and preventing a hit.

Air Force held the Midshipmen with a swinging strikeout, a fly out, and a caught runner in the bottom of the first.

The Falcon defense worked hard in the bottom of the second inning, notching a pop up, a ground out, and a fly out to leave one Navy runner stranded.

In the bottom of three, Estridge walked the first batter, but retired three-straight to follow.

Navy broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth after homering to right for a 2-0 lead.

With two Midshipmen on base in the top of the fifth inning, Kayden Bradshaw connected with Alex Adams to eliminate the pair with a double play. Easton Miller was called up and ended the frame with a looking strikeout.

AF defense went three up, three down in the top of six.

The Falcons finally hopped on the board to cut the deficit in half, 2-1, in the bottom of the same inning. The second batter, Niednagel, singled to left center and scored on an RBI double by Zapp.

The bottom of the seventh frame saw the Midshipmen strengthen their advantage to 4-1, scoring on a fielder's choice and a Falcon error.

Navy pushed further ahead with a pair of RBI singles and a run scored on a wild pitch, 7-1, in the bottom of eight.

Zach Peters entered the game as a pinch hitter, in the bottom of the eighth frame. After Peters was issued a lead-off walk, Niednagel got the ball rolling with a single down the left line to advance the base runner. Zapp marked his second RBI of the game and did the job with a sacrifice fly to center field, sending Peters home.

The Falcons will close out the Freedom Classic and look to clinch the series against Navy on Sunday Feb. 23 at 12:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. MT.

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