AF Baseball Comes up Short to Lobos on Saturday Afternoon

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., - Falcon baseball (9-18, 2-6 MW), marked an early lead over New Mexico (14-11, 5-2 MW) but came up short, 12-7, on Saturday afternoon at Santa Ana Star Field. Air Force tallied eight hits highlighted by a pair of home runs, while the pitching staff notched seven combined strikeouts.

T.J. Oster logged a perfect day at the plate, batting 3-for-3 with two doubles, two RBIs, and a run scored. The shortstop, Alex Adams finished 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs and plated one run. Walker Zapp and Chase Spencer both notched a homer.

The starting pitcher, Gaines Estridge (0-3) recorded one strikeout, but allowed seven runs in 0.2 innings. Following a two-run appearance from Gunner Gilmore, Charlie Russell took over for a career-high 4.1 innings. The sophomore struck out another career-high three batters and allowed three runs off three hits. Cranz Smelcer finished the game for Air Force, striking out a trio of Lobos and giving up no hits or runs, across three full innings.

Air Force managed an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Alex Adams opened the game with a single, stole second, and took advantage of a wild pitch for third. He crossed the plate on an RBI ground out from Zach Peters. With one strike, Walker Zapp sent a solo shot out of the park for the Falcons' second run of the frame.

The Lobos answered with nine runs in the bottom of the same inning, shifting into a 9-2 lead.

In the top of two, the Birds plated a pair of runners but still trailed 9-4. With one out, Luke Elmore was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a wild pitch, while T.J. Oster followed with a walk. The next batter, Ben Niednagel, advanced both base runners with a ground out. An Adams single up the middle sent two runs across the plate.

A two-run homer added to New Mexico's lead, 11-4, in the bottom of the third.

The Falcons responded with two more, trimming the deficit to 11-6, in the top of four. A lead-off homer from Chase Spencer, his second of the season, added one to the board. The following batter, Elmore singled through the right side and scored on an RBI double hit by Oster.

UNM plated one run off a solo home run, 12-6, in the bottom of five.

After a scoreless sixth inning, Air Force trimmed the deficit to a final 12-7. Taylor drew a lead-off walk to open the frame and went to second on a wild pitch. With another clutch RBI, Oster marked a two-out single to send Taylor home.

The bottom of the seventh and eighth saw three up, three down frames for Air Force's defense.

The Falcons look for a win over the Lobos in the series finale on Sunday March 30 at 12 p.m. MT.

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