Sunday, April 13
12:05 pm MT
Air Force Academy
10
vs
9
UNLV
AF Baseball Notches 10-9 Comeback Victory Over UNLV to Win the Series
4/13/2025 4:20:00 PM | Baseball
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo., - The Falcons (14-22, 7-8) brought force in a 10-9 comeback victory over UNLV (18-18, 5-10), to take their third Mountain West series of the season. On Sunday afternoon at Erdle Field, Air Force tallied 12 hits, highlighted by a pair of homers and six doubles, while the pitching staff struck out eight batters.
Zach Peters logged a successful day at the plate, finishing 3-for-5 with three RBIs, a trio of runs scored, and a triple shy of the cycle. The shortstop, Ben Niednagel, went 1-for-2 and brought in three runs. Alex Adams accounted for a pair of RBIs, while Walker Zapp and Kayden Bradshaw notched one a piece.
Marcus Downing took the game three start and threw two strikeouts in 1.1 innings pitched, with a pair of earned runs allowed. Sophomore Charlie Russell took over for 1.2 innings and gave up three runs. The next pitcher, Ethan Dillinger marked one strikeout and allowed no runs across two full innings. Bowen Brantingham (2-2) earned the win after he entered in relief for two innings, striking out three Rebels and allowing one run. Patrick Davidson, picked up his third save on the season after appearing for the last two frames of the ballgame and defending the Air Force lead. He allowed two runs and added two strikeouts to the book.
UNLV was first on the board, scoring three runs off four hits and an error in the top of two, 3-0.
The Falcons answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the same frame but were still down 3-2. To put Air Force on the board, Zach Peters opened scoring after he sent a shot 460' over the batter's eye. Kayden Bradshaw reached on a fielder's choice and scored on a two-out single hit by Alex Adams.
AF defense went three up, three down in the top of three to hold the score.
In the top of the fourth frame, the Rebels extended their lead to 6-2.
UNLV added one run to their lead off a solo home run, 7-2, in the top of the sixth.
The bottom of six saw Air Force trim the deficit to 7-5, plating three runs off a pair of hits. Tripp Garrish opened the inning with a double placed nicely in center field and was followed by a walked Luke Elmore. A Peters single through the left side enabled Garrish to score. The next batter, Chase Spencer, drew a walk to fill the bags with Falcons, allowing Ben Niednagel to walk in a run. Following a UNLV pitching change, Adams earned an RBI on a ground out to the first baseman.
Bowen Brantingham struck out two batters and utilized his defense for a ground out to Adams at third for a quick top of the seventh.
In the bottom of the stretch, the Falcons pushed ahead for the first time in the afternoon 10-7, plating five runs off five hits. To lead off the inning, Walker Zapp homered to left center for his sixth home run of the season. With one away, Elmore hit a double to right field and scored when Peters did the same thing. A Spencer single put runners on the corners until Bradshaw laid a strategic bunt towards third and squeezed Peters across the plate. Niednagel placed a double down the left line to send the pair of base runners home.
The Rebels were not done scoring, as they crept up on AF with two runs in the top of the eighth, 10-9. Davidson closed the inning with a swinging strikeout to one on base.
In the top of nine, a fielder's choice combined with a Davidson strikeout and a fly out to Bradshaw in left field sealed the Falcon victory.
Air Force will host Oral Roberts at Erdle Field on Monday April 13 for their last home midweek game of the season. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. MT.
Zach Peters logged a successful day at the plate, finishing 3-for-5 with three RBIs, a trio of runs scored, and a triple shy of the cycle. The shortstop, Ben Niednagel, went 1-for-2 and brought in three runs. Alex Adams accounted for a pair of RBIs, while Walker Zapp and Kayden Bradshaw notched one a piece.
Marcus Downing took the game three start and threw two strikeouts in 1.1 innings pitched, with a pair of earned runs allowed. Sophomore Charlie Russell took over for 1.2 innings and gave up three runs. The next pitcher, Ethan Dillinger marked one strikeout and allowed no runs across two full innings. Bowen Brantingham (2-2) earned the win after he entered in relief for two innings, striking out three Rebels and allowing one run. Patrick Davidson, picked up his third save on the season after appearing for the last two frames of the ballgame and defending the Air Force lead. He allowed two runs and added two strikeouts to the book.
UNLV was first on the board, scoring three runs off four hits and an error in the top of two, 3-0.
The Falcons answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the same frame but were still down 3-2. To put Air Force on the board, Zach Peters opened scoring after he sent a shot 460' over the batter's eye. Kayden Bradshaw reached on a fielder's choice and scored on a two-out single hit by Alex Adams.
AF defense went three up, three down in the top of three to hold the score.
In the top of the fourth frame, the Rebels extended their lead to 6-2.
UNLV added one run to their lead off a solo home run, 7-2, in the top of the sixth.
The bottom of six saw Air Force trim the deficit to 7-5, plating three runs off a pair of hits. Tripp Garrish opened the inning with a double placed nicely in center field and was followed by a walked Luke Elmore. A Peters single through the left side enabled Garrish to score. The next batter, Chase Spencer, drew a walk to fill the bags with Falcons, allowing Ben Niednagel to walk in a run. Following a UNLV pitching change, Adams earned an RBI on a ground out to the first baseman.
Bowen Brantingham struck out two batters and utilized his defense for a ground out to Adams at third for a quick top of the seventh.
In the bottom of the stretch, the Falcons pushed ahead for the first time in the afternoon 10-7, plating five runs off five hits. To lead off the inning, Walker Zapp homered to left center for his sixth home run of the season. With one away, Elmore hit a double to right field and scored when Peters did the same thing. A Spencer single put runners on the corners until Bradshaw laid a strategic bunt towards third and squeezed Peters across the plate. Niednagel placed a double down the left line to send the pair of base runners home.
The Rebels were not done scoring, as they crept up on AF with two runs in the top of the eighth, 10-9. Davidson closed the inning with a swinging strikeout to one on base.
In the top of nine, a fielder's choice combined with a Davidson strikeout and a fly out to Bradshaw in left field sealed the Falcon victory.
Air Force will host Oral Roberts at Erdle Field on Monday April 13 for their last home midweek game of the season. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. MT.
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