Air Force drops doubleheader to Utah

  • Published
  • By Nick Arseniak
  • Athletic Media Relations
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  Utah swept both games of a doubleheader against Air Force in Mountain West Conference baseball action Sunday at Falcon Field. The Utes took game one, 12-6, and game two, 19-8. 

The losses dropped the Falcons to 14-32, 3-12, while the Utes improved to 19-24, 6-12. 

In game one, Utah jumped ahead early and then held the lead with some big innings late. The Utes scored in the first three innings to lead 5-0. The Falcons then chipped away at the Utah lead with a run in the fourth and two in the fifth to make it a 5-3 ballgame. 

Utah put the game away with seven combined runs in the seventh and eighth innings. The Utes scored two in the seventh and five in the eighth, highlighted by a grand slam by Nick Kuroczko. The Falcons added two runs in the ninth on a two-run homer by Addison Gentry. 

Utah had 17 hits in the game. Kuroczko led the way, going 3-for-5 with six RBIs. Devin Walker went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs and Tyler Yagi added four hits. 

Air Force had 10 hits in the game. K.J. Randhawa, Matt Alexander, Blair Roberts and Parker Mayo had two hits each. Gentry and Alexander had two RBIs each. 

Ute starter Jordan Whatcott (3-2) earned the win, allowing four runs off six hits, while striking out five, in 6.2 innings. Greg Krause picked up the save with 2.1 innings in relief.
Falcon starter Alex Truesdale (2-7) took the loss, allowing 10 runs in 7.1 innings, striking out five. Aaron Kurcz and Mike Kazakoff pitched in relief. 

In game two, Utah scored multiple runs in five different innings to power past Air Force 19-8. 

Utah jumped ahead 3-0 with a run in the first and two in the third. Air Force came right back with three runs in the bottom of the third to tie the game. 

The Utes then answered with three runs off four hits in the fourth to go back ahead 6-3. Parker Mayo then hit a solo home run in the bottom of the inning to make it 6-4. Utah then blew the game wide open with six runs in the fifth to lead 12-4. 

Utah added two more runs in the top of the sixth and Air Force scored one in the bottom of the inning, to make it a 14-5 game. Matt Alexander then hit a solo homer for the Falcons in the seventh before Utah scored five runs in the top of the eighth. Nathan Carter then added a solo homer in the eighth and the Falcons plated one more run in the ninth. 

Robert Chimpky (2-2) picked up the win for the Utes, with three innings in relief. Ute starter Bryn Card went 3.2 innings, allowing four runs off eight hits, while striking out two.
Falcon starter Michael Ceci (1-3) took the loss, pitching 4.2 innings. Evan Abrecht, Michael Ruvolo, Jake Petro, Kazakoff and Andrew Loyd pitched in relief. 

Utah had 20 hits in the game. Corey Shimada went 2-for-3 with a homer and five RBIs. Michael Beltran went 4-for-5 with two RBIs. Cooper Blanc also homered. 

Air Force had 17 hits in the game. Carter led the way, going 3-for-5, adding a double, two runs and two RBIs. Roberts had three hits in the game as well, giving him five on the day. Alexander, Ben Ausbun, Tytus Moss and Jon McMahon had two hits for the Falcons as well. 

The Falcons return to action May 8 at San Diego State.