Falcons Stay Perfect at Home, Garrish’s Eight-RBI Day Powers 17-7 Run-Rule Win

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Utah Valley	1	1	0	0	0	0	5	7	10	1
Air Force	5	1	0	4	3	2	2	17	15	1

Utah Valley

Air Force

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Air Force baseball (16-18) claimed a 17-7 run-rule victory over Utah Valley (15-20) in game one Monday afternoon at Erdle Field. With the win, the Falcons improve to a perfect 10-0 at home, one of just two NCAA Division I programs still unbeaten on their home field. The Falcons totaled 15 hits, including four home runs, while the pitching staff combined for five strikeouts in the win.

Tripp Garrish led the offensive surge with a career performance, going 4-for-5 with two home runs, a double, and a career-high eight RBIs—ranking seventh all-time in a single game in program history. T.J. Oster added a pair of doubles and two RBIs, while Ben Niednagel, Cole Jenkins, and Christian Taylor each drove in two runs.

On the mound, Cranz Smelcer (2-0) earned his second win of the season, tossing 3.2 innings with one earned run and a strikeout. Davis Rhyne followed with 2.1 innings, matching his career-high with four strikeouts, and Trey Rutledge closed out the final inning.

Utah Valley opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first, but Air Force responded immediately with a five-run bottom half. With the bases loaded, Garrish ripped a bases-clearing double to right center to give the Falcons the lead before Jenkins followed with a home run to make it 5-1.

A solo shot in the top of the second helped Utah Valley trim the deficit, 5-2.

Air Force answered with one run in the bottom of two, 6-2. After Kayden Bradshaw and Niednagel reached on walks, Garrish delivered an RBI single with two outs to extend the lead to 6-2.

In the fourth inning, Air Force broke the game open, pushing the score to 10-2. Niednagel led off with a home run to right field, and Garrish followed one batter later with a solo shot to center. After singles from Elmore and Taylor, Oster drove both in with a double down the left field line.

The Falcons kept rolling in the fifth, as Garrish launched his second homer of the day, a 404-foot, three-run blast to right field, to make it 13-2.

Air Force added two more in the sixth with aggressive baserunning. Blake Campbell, pinch running after a hit-by-pitch, stole second and scored on a Niednagel single. Niednagel then swiped second and third before coming home on a sacrifice fly from Walker Zapp to push the lead to 15-2.

Utah Valley made a late push with five runs in the seventh, but the Falcons answered in the bottom half. Taylor delivered a two-run double to secure the run-rule victory.

The two teams will meet again Tuesday, April 14 at 12 p.m. MT at Erdle Field.

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