Saturday, March 1
1 pm MT
Air Force Academy
4-6
14
vs
7
Army
1-7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
ARMY
0
0
7
0
0
0
0
0
0
7
8
1
Air Force
0
1
6
1
3
1
0
2
X
14
17
2
Falcons Secure Series Over Army, 14-7
3/1/2025 6:32:00 PM | Baseball
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo., - Air Force baseball (4-6) powers past the Black Knights of Army (1-7), outscoring them 14-7, to clinch the series on Saturday afternoon at Erdle Field. The Falcon hitters recorded new season highs of 17 hits, seven doubles, two triples, and the highest game batting average, .425. The trio of pitchers compiled seven strikeouts.
Zach Peters marked an impressive performance at the plate, as he finished 4-for-5 with three RBIs, two runs scored, a pair of doubles, and a triple. Cam Anstey was also responsible for three RBIs, on a ground out and a bases-clearing triple. The designated hitter, Tripp Garrish put his second home run of the season in the books and accounted for a pair of RBIs. Ben Niednagel, Christian Taylor, and Luke Elmore notched two RBIs each.
Leading off with the start, Gaines Estridge pitched 2.2 innings with three strikeouts but allowed two earned runs off four hits. In relief, Bowen Brantingham earned his first win of the season and moves to 1-1 after throwing one strikeout across 3.2 innings, with only one unearned run allowed. Sam Hentges got the call to close and shut down the last 2.2 innings with a trio of strikeouts and gave up a single hit and no runs.
The Falcons jumped on the board in the bottom of two, for a 1-0 lead. Tripp Garrish led the inning off by placing a double in center. To follow, Christian Taylor drew a walk and Zach Peters advanced the runners on a bunt single. On the next play, Luke Elmore reached on a fielder's choice, resulting in Garrish being thrown out at home plate. With bases still loaded, Cam Anstey marked a ground out RBI that sent Taylor to score.
In the top of the third frame, Army jumped ahead to a 7-1 advantage, scoring all seven of their runs off four hits and one error.
Air Force leveled the board at 7-7, in the bottom of the same inning. To start the frame, Alex Adams and Ben Niednagel hit back-to-back singles. To send Adams across the plate, Garrish doubled to right field and Taylor followed with an RBI single, plating Niednagel. For two more runs, Peters laid a double through the left side. The Falcons had a pair of runners on, after Elmore was issued a walk, just in time for a triple from Anstey to send them both home.
The Falcon defense went three up, three down in the top of four, recording a pop up, a ground out, and a fly out.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, AF pulled ahead for an 8-7 lead. Niednagel doubled to right center and advanced to third on a fly out from Walker Zapp. With two down, Taylor plated the runner with an RBI single to left field.
Air Force saw a lead extension, to 11-7, in the bottom of five. The first batter, Peters, marked a triple and scored on an RBI ground out by Elmore. T.J. Oster reached on a fielder's choice, while Adams was walked behind him. A double knocked to center field from Niednagel enabled the runners to score.
To add one run for a score of 12-7, Garrish opened the bottom of the sixth frame with a walk and flew around the bags to score on a Peters double.
Following a Black Knight pitching change in the bottom of eight, Garrish sent a pitch out of the park for his second homer on the year. Behind, Taylor singled through the right side and plated the Falcons' final run of the game, for a 14-7 final score, on a double by Elmore.
Air Force and Army will play the series finale on Sunday March 2nd at 12 p.m. MT.
Zach Peters marked an impressive performance at the plate, as he finished 4-for-5 with three RBIs, two runs scored, a pair of doubles, and a triple. Cam Anstey was also responsible for three RBIs, on a ground out and a bases-clearing triple. The designated hitter, Tripp Garrish put his second home run of the season in the books and accounted for a pair of RBIs. Ben Niednagel, Christian Taylor, and Luke Elmore notched two RBIs each.
Leading off with the start, Gaines Estridge pitched 2.2 innings with three strikeouts but allowed two earned runs off four hits. In relief, Bowen Brantingham earned his first win of the season and moves to 1-1 after throwing one strikeout across 3.2 innings, with only one unearned run allowed. Sam Hentges got the call to close and shut down the last 2.2 innings with a trio of strikeouts and gave up a single hit and no runs.
The Falcons jumped on the board in the bottom of two, for a 1-0 lead. Tripp Garrish led the inning off by placing a double in center. To follow, Christian Taylor drew a walk and Zach Peters advanced the runners on a bunt single. On the next play, Luke Elmore reached on a fielder's choice, resulting in Garrish being thrown out at home plate. With bases still loaded, Cam Anstey marked a ground out RBI that sent Taylor to score.
In the top of the third frame, Army jumped ahead to a 7-1 advantage, scoring all seven of their runs off four hits and one error.
Air Force leveled the board at 7-7, in the bottom of the same inning. To start the frame, Alex Adams and Ben Niednagel hit back-to-back singles. To send Adams across the plate, Garrish doubled to right field and Taylor followed with an RBI single, plating Niednagel. For two more runs, Peters laid a double through the left side. The Falcons had a pair of runners on, after Elmore was issued a walk, just in time for a triple from Anstey to send them both home.
The Falcon defense went three up, three down in the top of four, recording a pop up, a ground out, and a fly out.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, AF pulled ahead for an 8-7 lead. Niednagel doubled to right center and advanced to third on a fly out from Walker Zapp. With two down, Taylor plated the runner with an RBI single to left field.
Air Force saw a lead extension, to 11-7, in the bottom of five. The first batter, Peters, marked a triple and scored on an RBI ground out by Elmore. T.J. Oster reached on a fielder's choice, while Adams was walked behind him. A double knocked to center field from Niednagel enabled the runners to score.
To add one run for a score of 12-7, Garrish opened the bottom of the sixth frame with a walk and flew around the bags to score on a Peters double.
Following a Black Knight pitching change in the bottom of eight, Garrish sent a pitch out of the park for his second homer on the year. Behind, Taylor singled through the right side and plated the Falcons' final run of the game, for a 14-7 final score, on a double by Elmore.
Air Force and Army will play the series finale on Sunday March 2nd at 12 p.m. MT.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Brantingham, Bowen (1-1)
L: Mark Abell (0-2)
Batting:
2B: John McKillop 1 ; Thomas Schreck 2
RBI: Justin Lehman 1 ; Jack Quinlan 1 ; John McKillop 2 ; Thomas Schreck 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Addison Ainsworth 1 ; Justin Lehman 1 ; Jack Quinlan 1 ; Paul Andrzejewski 1 ; John McKillop 1 ; Ethan Ellis 1 ; Thomas Schreck 1
HBP: Ethan Ellis 1
Batting:
2B: Niednagel, Ben 2 ; Garrish, Tripp 2 ; Peters, Zach 2 ; Elmore, Luke 1
3B: Peters, Zach 1 ; Anstey, Cam 1
HR: Garrish, Tripp 1
RBI: Niednagel, Ben 2 ; Garrish, Tripp 2 ; Taylor, Christian 2 ; Peters, Zach 3 ; Elmore, Luke 2 ; Anstey, Cam 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Adams, Alex 2 ; Niednagel, Ben 2 ; Garrish, Tripp 3 ; Taylor, Christian 3 ; Peters, Zach 2 ; Elmore, Luke 1 ; Oster, T.J. 1
CS: Taylor, Christian 1
HBP: Anstey, Cam 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
2
H
4
RBI
3
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
3
H
3
RBI
2
cf/lf
AB
4
R
3
H
3
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Baseball
UT
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
UT/RHP
/ Baseball
UT
/ Baseball
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