Baseball: Falcons lose lead, game to San Diego State, 12-9

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U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFNEWS) --  The Air Force baseball team (5-19, 0-4) failed to hold a 6-4 lead as San Diego State (16-11, 1-0) scored eight runs in the seventh inning to pull out a 12-9 win over the Falcons in Mountain West Conference baseball action March 22 at Falcon Field. The loss spoiled a two-homer, six-RBI day by senior Karl Bolt.

All nine starters had hits for the Falcons, as the team amassed 15 hits on the day, the second-highest total on the season. Bolt led the way for the Falcons, going 3-for-6 with the two long balls. He hit his 31st and 32nd career home runs, moving him into seventh place all-time at the Academy.

San Diego State utilized a big first and seventh inning to pull out the win. The Aztecs scored three in the first and one more in the third to jump out to an early 4-0 lead. The Falcons then scored six unanwered runs over the next four innings to surge ahead 6-4 after six.

The Aztecs then exploded for eight runs in the seventh, highlighted by three SDSU triples and a double.

San Diego State had 18 hits on the day, with most of the damage coming from the 2-3-4 hitters in the lineup, which combined to go 11-for-14 with nine RBI and seven runs scored. Troy Hanzawa and Nick Romero both went 4-for-5 for the Aztecs, with Hanzawa hitting a pair of triples and Romero driving in four.

The 3-4-5 hitters did most of the damage for the Falcons, as Bolt, Matt Alexander and Geno Salazar combined to go 9-for-14 with four runs and seven RBI. Alexander was 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored, Salazar went 3-for-4 with a walk, double and RBI.

San Diego State reliever and Castle Rock native Mike Koons, 2-1, picked up the win in relief, allowing a run in two-thirds innings of relief. Stephen Strasburg picked up his fourth save of the season, striking out the side in the ninth. Aztec starter Steven Hirschfeld went five and a third innings, allowing six runs on 10 hits.

Falcon reliever Mike Ruvolo, 0-1, took the loss, allowing three runs in the seventh inning. Air Force starter Alex Truesdale went six-plus strong innings, allowing five runs, four earned, while scattering 10 hits. David Miller also saw action on the mound and Joe Peterson pitched two and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief to end the game.

Air Force and San Diego State return to action 2 p.m. March 23.

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