Air Force Falls to Kansas State

MESA, Ariz., – Air Force baseball (2-2) dropped an 11-8 decision to Kansas State (4-0) on Monday afternoon at Sloan Park, closing play at the MLB Desert Invitational. The Falcons tallied nine hits and launched two home runs, while the pitching staff combined for seven strikeouts.

At the plate, T.J. Oster went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Ben Niednagel drove in a pair with a two-run homer, while Landon Boyd, Walker Zapp, Garrett Hutchins, and Blake Campbell each accounted for one RBI.

Sophomore Cranz Smelcer made his first start of the season, striking out one and allowing four runs in 1.1 innings. Josh Shropshire (0-1) tossed two innings with four strikeouts, surrendering three runs. Gunner Gilmore logged two full innings with one strikeout and one run allowed. Trey Rutledge impressed in his collegiate debut, throwing 1.2 scoreless innings with a strikeout. Charlie Russell gave up two runs in the eighth, while closer Patrick Davidson did not allow a run.

Kansas State opened the scoring in the first inning with an RBI hit-by-pitch to take a 1-0 lead.

Air Force responded immediately in the bottom half, scoring twice to go ahead 2-1. Tripp Garrish doubled to left to lead off the frame and later scored on Zapp's RBI single. After Luke Elmore reached on a fielder's choice and Van Klein drew a walk to load the bases, Campbell delivered an RBI single for the second run.

The Wildcats reclaimed the lead with three runs in the second inning, making it 4-2.

The Falcons evened the score in the third. After Brooks Burdine and Campbell were both hit by pitches, Oster delivered a clutch two-out, two-RBI single to tie the game at 4-4.

Kansas State answered again with three runs in the fourth and added a sacrifice fly in the sixth to extend the lead to 8-4.

The Wildcats pushed across three more runs in the eighth to make it 11-4.

Air Force mounted a late rally in the bottom of the eighth. After Campbell reached on an error, Niednagel launched his first homer of the season, a 412-foot shot, followed by Boyd's 425-foot pinch-hit home run to cut the deficit to 11-7.

Davidson retired the side in order in the ninth, and the Falcons added one final run in their last at-bat. Zapp walked, Elmore singled, and both advanced on a wild pitch before freshman Gavin Hutchins lifted a sacrifice fly in his first collegiate plate appearance to score Zapp.

UP NEXT
Air Force baseball will be back in action at Salute the Troops Weekend in Columbia, S.C., from Feb. 20-24. The Falcons will face Army, Navy, and South Carolina before heading to play College of Charleston.

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Team Stats

T.J. Oster

Tripp Garrish

Wyatt Hanoian

Walker Zapp

Players Mentioned

Landon Boyd

Brooks Burdine

Blake Campbell

Patrick Davidson

Luke Elmore

Tripp Garrish

Gunner Gilmore

Garrett Hutchins

Van Klein

Ben Niednagel

T.J. Oster

Charlie Russell

Trey Rutledge

Josh Shropshire

Cranz Smelcer

Walker Zapp

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