Falcons Show Out in 10-3 Win Over Washington State

PULLMAN, Wash., - Air Force baseball (18-29, 10-13) leveled the series with Washington State (16-29, 9-14) behind two-out batting and impressive pitching in a 10-3 win on Saturday night at Bailey-Brayton Field. With this victory, the Falcons shift in front of WSU in the Mountain West Standings.

Though he did not record a hit, Luke Elmore accounted for a team-high two RBIs on the night. Eight of the nine starting batters were responsible for an RBI.

Cranz Smelcer logged a stellar night on the mound, holding WSU scoreless through seven full innings without a strikeout and improved to 2-4 on the season. The freshman picked up a new career-high 7.2 innings pitched, allowed six hits, and gave up a pair of runs. Bowen Brantingham was the sole reliever for Air Force and struck out to Cougars with one run surrendered in 1.1 innings.

The Falcons pulled for an early 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning. To open, Tripp Garrish drew a walk and moved to second base on a first-pitch single by Christian Taylor. With a sacrifice bunt from Luke Elmore, both base runners advanced. Alex Adams recorded a sacrifice fly, sending Garrish home to plate the first run of the game. The next batter, T.J. Oster put a single up the middle of the field to score Taylor.

In the top of four, Air Force scored a pair to lead 4-0. With two outs, Walker Zapp got things moving with a single placed up the middle. Back-to-back RBI doubles off the outfield wall by Zach Peters and Garrish sent two across the plate.

With two Falcons away in the top of the sixth, the Birds tacked on two more runs, extending their lead to 6-0. After the first two batters of the frame marked outs, Oster reached first on a throwing error by WSU's third baseman and went all the way home on a Ben Niednagel double that was sent deep to right field. On the first pitch of his at-bat, Chase Spencer hit a hard grounder through the left side, enabling Niednagel to score.

The top of the seventh saw Air Force inch further ahead, 7-0. With one out, Taylor laid a bunt single in front of the plate and took second on a throwing error by the Cougar pitcher. Following a wild pitch that sent him to third, Taylor was sent home on a ground out from Elmore.

Washington State got on the board late with a pair of runs, 7-2, in the bottom of eight.

The Falcons added a trio of runs for a 10-2 advantage in the visitor half of the ninth frame. The first three batters, Zapp, Peters, and Kayden Bradshaw were all hit by pitches to juice the bases. Elmore recorded another RBI ground out that sent Zapp across the plate. With a pair of outs, Dawson Thrush reached on an error that pulled the Cougar's first baseman off the bag and gave Peters and Bradshaw time to head home.

The Cougars managed one run in the bottom of the ninth for a final score of 10-3.

The two teams will meet for a rubber match on Sunday May 4 at 12 p.m. PT/1 p.m. MT in Pullman.

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