'Dogs battle in nail-biting loss to Falcons

Saturday, April 8

USAF Academy, CO

11 A.M. PT

Fresno State

15-15, 0

Air Force

14-19, 0

Fresno State

Air Force

Photo by: Xochitl Ortega

'Dogs battle in nail-biting loss to Falcons

4/8/2023 2:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Holly Cassina / Strategic Communications Coordinator

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Fresno State baseball team fell 4-3 to the Air Force Falcons Saturday afternoon to close the weekend series.

Fresno State now sits at 15-15 on the season (7-7 Mountain West) and Air Force now owns a 14-19 record (8-7 MW).

NOTES:

Roman Angelo hit the 40-strikeout milestone in Saturday's start against the Falcons.
Ben Newton snagged his fifth stolen base of the season.
Tyler Davis and Bobby Blandford both launched home runs in the top of the fifth inning.
Tommy Hopfe made his 10th pitching appearance of 2023.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the first, the Falcons earned their first runs of the game after a single and a walk plated two. Travis Welker made a sliding barehanded double play to end the inning to hold AFA to two runs.

In the top of the third, Bobby Blandford rocketed his fifth hit of the series to score Tyler Davis and advance Travis Welker to third and put the 'Dogs within one. The Falcons answered back and scored on a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning.

Tyler Davis led off the fifth inning with a 415-foot home run to left field. Bobby Blandford followed up by launching his third home run of the season over the 24-foot-tall right field wall to make it a tie ballgame.

Air Force led off in the bottom of the sixth with a double to right field and scored the runner with a single to left to give the Falcons a 4-3 lead.

Fresno State's offense was not able to recover and fell by the single run to Air Force.

UP NEXT: The 'Dogs return home to face Long Beach State on Tuesday night at 6:05 p.m. PT.

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