Baseball: Air Force falls to Hawaii at Hilo 9-3

  • Published
  • By Nick Arseniak
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
HILO, Hawaii (AFNEWS) --  After scoring two runs in the first inning, the bats fell silent for Air Force, as the Falcons dropped a 9-3 non-conference baseball contest at Hawaii at Hilo March 27 at Francis K. Wong Stadium here. 

The loss drops the Falcons to 5-21 on the season while the Vulcans improve to 6-23.

Hilo's pitching duo of Lars Knepper and Karl Mass held the Falcons scoreless in all but the first and ninth innings. Knepper (2-5) went seven innings, striking out five on seven hits for the win. Mass pitched the final two innings for the save.

Air Force starter Mitch Brown (1-6) took the loss, allowing three runs in three predetermined innings pitched. The senior allowed four hits and struck out two.

The Falcons had eight hits in the game, led by Karl Bolt. Bolt continued his hot hitting, going 3-for-4 with a double. The senior is 9-for-13 in his last three games. Chay Derbigny also had an excellent day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a run scored.

The Falcons manufactured a pair of two out runs to start the game for a 2-0 lead. Derbigny singled with one out and Bolt walked to put two runners on base. Derbigny then stole third to make it runners on first and third. He then scored on the tail end of a successful double-steal with Bolt. Geno Salazar followed up with a single past the shortstop's right side to score Bolt for the second run.

After failing to score in the first, Hawaii at Hilo came back in the second with three runs off four hits for a 3-2 lead.

The game turned into a pitchers duel as neither team managed to score again until the Vulcans put up a run in the seventh to extend their lead to 4-2. David Chu doubled deep into the left field gap to score Shane Kessel from third.

Hilo blew the game wide open with five runs off six hits in the eighth to make it a 9-2 ballgame. Air Force scored a run in the ninth as Daniel Walker scored from third on a wild pitch.

Jake Petro worked the fourth through the sixth innings, tossing three scoreless innings while scattering three hits and striking out three. Alex Truesdale pitched the seventh and eighth innings for the Falcons.

Hilo had 16 hits in the game, led by Michael Higa, who went 3-for-5 with a triple and two RBI. 

The Falcons and Vulcans return to action March 28.

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