AF Baseball Falls Short in Series Opener at New Mexico

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Air Force	0	5	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	7	8	0
New Mexico	2	0	3	3	0	1	0	0	X	9	18	1

Air Force

New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Air Force (21-22, 12-7) fell 9-7 to New Mexico (26-18-1, 11-7-10) in game one of the series Friday evening at Lobo Baseball Field. The Falcons scored seven runs on eight hits, while the pitching staff combined for three strikeouts.
At the plate, Walker Zapp led the Falcons with three RBIs. Luke Elmore and Ben Niednagel each recorded two hits, while Kayden Bradshaw, Elmore, and Christian Taylor drove in one run apiece.

Starting pitcher Aiden Poe worked three innings, striking out two while allowing five runs. Marcus Downing (6-1) surrendered three runs while recording two outs, and Trey Rutledge added 2.2 innings with one strikeout and one run allowed. Easton Miller closed with 1.2 scoreless innings.

New Mexico struck first, taking a 2-0 lead in the opening inning.

Air Force responded in the second with a five-run frame to take a 5-2 advantage. After consecutive walks to Wyatt Hanoian and Elmore, along with a fielder's choice, Taylor delivered an RBI single to center. A passed ball brought Elmore home, and Taylor later scored after stealing second and third and coming in on Bradshaw's RBI single. Zapp capped the inning with a two-run single following another passed ball.

Elmore extended the Falcons' lead to 6-2 with a leadoff home run in the third, but the Lobos answered with three runs in the bottom half to cut the deficit to 6-5.

Air Force added another run in the fourth when Niednagel tripled and scored on a Zapp groundout to make it 7-5.

New Mexico responded again with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take an 8-7 lead, then added an insurance run in the sixth to secure the 9-7 final.

The two teams will meet again for game two at 2 p.m. MT on Saturday, May 2, at Lobo Baseball Field.

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