Baseball: Falcons lose doubleheader at San Diego State

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SAN DIEGO, Calif. (AFNEWS) --  The Air Force baseball team (7-31, 0-12 MWC) was swept in a doubleheader against San Diego State (25-17, 9-4), April 21 at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Falcons lost the first game 8-3, and dropped the second game by the score of 18-2.

The first game was a continuation of a game that was called due to rain after three innings of play April 20. Game two was a seven inning make-up contest of a game snowed out at the Academy in mid-March.

After rallying from a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead, Air Force surrendered six unanswered runs to the Aztecs to lose the first game. The Falcons committed a season-high five errors in the loss.

The Falcons scored all three runs in the fourth inning to jump ahead. The Aztecs rallied with three runs of their own in the bottom-half of the fourth to take the lead for good. SDSU tacked on three more in the sixth.

Air Force reliever Mitch Brown (2-8) took the loss, allowing six runs, just one earned, in 3.1 innings pitched. Falcon starter Casey Allen pitched the first 2.2 innings of the game on Friday, allowing two runs off five hits, while striking out three. Billy Wargula tossed two scoreless innings in relief.

San Diego State reliever Garrett Parcell (1-0) picked up the win in relief, allowing three runs in three innings. Mike Koons picked up the save, holding the Falcons to just one hit over the final three innings. Aztec starter Bruce Billings went three innings, striking out six and allowing just one hit.

Air Force had seven hits in the game. K.J. Randhawa led the way, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.

SDSU had 15 hits in the game, with Frank LoNigro going 3-for-4 with two RBI.

In the second game, San Diego State blew the game open with a nine-run fourth inning to cruise to the 18-2 win. The Aztecs put a run in the second, three in the third and also scored three in the fifth to lead 16-0 after five.

The Falcons, playing as the home team, scored their runs in the fifth on a two-run home run by Chay Derbigny.

Air Force starter Alex Truesdale (0-6) took the loss, allowing seven runs over three innings. Daniel Richardson and Joe Peterson also pitched in relief for the Falcons.

San Diego State starter Stephen Hirshfield (4-2) earned the win, holding the Falcons to two runs off six hits in six innings. He struck out seven and walked one.

Air Force had six hits in the game, with Randhawa and Karl Bolt each collecting two hits apiece.

SDSU had 20 hits in the game, with LoNigro going 3-for-3 with a homer and four RBI. Nick Romero also homered for the Aztecs.

The two teams conclude the series April 22 with another doubleheader, the Falcons' 10th twinbill of the season.

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