Baseball: Falcons split games In Greeley

  • Published
GREELEY, Colo. (AFNEWS) --  Air Force split two baseball games may 4, defeating Utah Valley State, 9-5, and falling to Northern Colorado, 4-3, at Jackson Field. The split improves the Falcons to 8-36 on the season.

In game one, Karl Bolt homered and drove in six runs to lead Air Force to the 9-5 win.

Bolt broke-open a 5-5 tie ball game in the seventh with a bases-loaded double that cleared the bases and put the Falcons ahead 8-5. The senior then stole third and came around to score as the catcher's throw went into left field.

Freshman Michael Ruvolo (1-6) earned his first-career win by helping the Falcons escape the seventh inning. AFA starter Casey Allen turned in another solid effort, going 6.2 innings, allowing five runs while striking out four.

UVSC (19-27) reliever Ryan Chadwick (1-3) took the loss, allowing three runs in one inning pitched. Wolverine starter Jace Brinkerhoff went 5.1 innings, allowing five runs off seven hits. Brinkerhoff was also 2-for-2 with a run scored as a hitter.

Air Force scored a run in the second and UVSC rallied with a run to make it a tie ballgame headed into the fifth inning.

The Falcons then put up four runs in the fifth to go ahead 5-1. Josh Meents led the inning off with a solo home run and Bolt capped-off the inning with a three-run homer.

Utah Valley State came back with two runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to tie the game.

Air Force had 10 hits in the game, with Bolt, Chay Derbigny and Shea Hall collecting two hits apiece. The Falcons also had solid relief pitching from David Miller and Jake Petro, who combined to pitch scoreless eighth and ninth innings.

In the UNC game, the Falcons battled back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game but the Bears pushed across a run in the bottom of the eighth for the win.

UNC (11-28) scored three runs in the fourth inning to go ahead 3-0. Air Force chipped away with a run in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

The Bears catcher John Ray reached on an error to lead off the eighth and later came around to score from second on a two-out single by Sean Zyer.

Ray and Zyer did most of the damage for UNC. Ray went 2-for-4 with a solo homer in the fourth and Zyer was 3-for-4 with three RBI.

Air Force reliever Mitch Brown (2-9) took the loss, allowing the unearned run in two innings pitched. Falcon starter Alex Truesdale went six innings, allowing three runs, one earned, while scattering five hits.

Northern Colorado reliever Tyler Pearson (2-5) picked up the win, pitching two scoreless innings. UNC starter Dan Kazell went seven innings, allowing nine hits and three runs while striking out eight.

Air Force had 11 hits in the game, with Derbigny, Geno Salazar, Jason Griggs and Hall collecting two hits apiece.

Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link)

Click here to view the comments/letters page