Falcons swept with three doubleheader defeats

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PROVO, Utah (AFPN) --  The Air Force Academy team (5-47 overall, 0-28 in the Mountain West Conference) dropped its third-consecutive doubleheader in as many days here May 22 against Brigham Young University (28-28, 18-12). It was Air Force’s final regular season games. In Game One, a four run, eighth inning proved to be the difference as BYU rallied to win 10-9. The Cougars had 15 hits in Game Two winning 12-4.

Leading 9-6 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning in Game One, the Falcons hearts were broken again as BYU rallied to score four runs in the bottom of the ninth to retake the lead. After Blair Lucas scored on a wild pitch by J.T. Schroeder to make it a 9-7 game, a two-run single by Ben Saylor and a throwing error by left fielder Brent Tittle put the Cougars ahead. With the bases loaded, Saylor singled to left, and Tittle’s throw missed the cutoff man and trickled into the infield, allowing Kevin Bills to score the game-winning run.

Joshua Barret (1-1) earned the win in relief of BYU starter Lance Beus. Beus was tagged for seven runs in 5.2 innings while fanning eight. Travis Fugler (0-1) was tagged with the loss. Air Force starter William Goss gave up six runs in six innings pitched, striking out three.

Tittle put Air Force up 2-0 in the first as the junior launched a two-run homer down the left field line. The lead was short-lived as BYU came right back with three runs, highlighted by back-to-back homers by Kory Knell and Brandon Taylor.

The Falcons tied the game in the second as Nathan DeRohan hit his fifth home run of the season, a solo shot to left center. BYU responded with a run in the bottom of the inning to retake the lead at 4-3. The Cougars made it 5-3 in the third scoring a run on a throwing error by catcher Billy Adams.

After BYU put up a run in the bottom of the fifth to go up 6-3, the Falcons rallied with four runs in the sixth to retake the lead 7-6. Jason Brown started the inning off by hitting a home run onto the street about 100 feet past the fence in left center to make it a 6-4 ballgame. Dale Kasel then came around to score on BYU shortstop Taylor’s third error of the game, and then Adams singled through the right side to score Geno Salazar from second. The Falcons were not done as Matt Musser knocked Beus out of the game with a single to center to score Adams for the fourth run of the inning.

Paul Jacinto closed the door on the Falcons with a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his third save of the season.

Both teams had 12 hits in the game with BYU committing five errors and Air Force three. Saylor went 2-for-4 with three RBIs for BYU. Musser, Brown and Karl Bolt had two hits apiece.

BYU went up 5-0 after two and a half innings in Game Two, scoring four in the second and one in the third. Bills hit a three-run homer for the Cougars in the second.

The Falcons rallied with four runs in the bottom of the third to make it a 5-4 game. Josh Wolfram tripled to leadoff the inning and scored on a wild pitch. Karl Bolt then hit a two-run double to score Musser and Tittle. Bolt then scored on a failed pickoff attempt by the pitcher.

BYU scored runs in the fourth and fifth innings to go up 7-4. Taylor then hit a three-run homer in the sixth as the Cougars scored five in the inning to make it a 12-4 game.

Bryce Burger (1-3) picked up the win in relief, throwing three scoreless innings. BYU starter Nick Lemon allowed four runs in three innings pitched. Air Force starter Jeff Tetrault (1-5) allowed 10 runs in five innings in the loss. Kyle DePierre pitched the final two innings in relief for the Falcons.

The Cougars were led in the second game by Adam Wilkes, who went 4-for-4 with two RBIs. Air Force had five hits, with Wolfram going 2-for-4 with a run scored.

Air Force competes again May 26 at the 2004 conference championships in Las Vegas. The Falcons, the sixth-seed in the tourney, will take on the third-seeded team at 3 p.m. PST.