By NICK ARSENIAK
U.S. Air Force Academy Assistant Sports Information Director
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFNEWS) — Timely hitting and strong pitching for the second-straight day carried Air Force to a doubleheader sweep of Kansas Wesleyan (1-6) Feb. 19 at Falcon Field. The Falcons took game one 8-2 and game two 5-4 and improved to 4-4 on the season.
The three-game series sweep was the Falcons’ first since 2003, when they swept Hastings. In game one, the Falcons utilized a five-run second inning and some strong pitching to cruise to an 8-2 win. Falcon starter Jake Petro and reliever Michael Ruvolo combined to hold the Coyotes to two runs on eight hits in the seven inning win.
Petro improved to 2-1 on the season, scattering six hits and two walks, while striking out two in five innings. Ruvolo tossed two scoreless innings while striking out one to close out the game. Air Force had nine hits and stole seven bases in game one. Geno Salazar went 2-for-2 with a double, triple and three RBI. Jason Griggs continued his hot hitting with a 2-for-4 game and Matt Alexander connected for his second home run of the season.
After Kansas Wesleyan scored a run in the top of the second, the Falcons came right back with a five run second to take the lead for good. Alexander homered to lead off the inning. Ben Ausbun then singled in Erol Kelter for the second run. Geno Salazar later doubled in K.J. Randhawa and Shea Hall for the third and fourth runs. Salazar then scored on Griggs’ single for the fifth run.
Air Force added two more runs in the fifth and one in the sixth. In game two, timely hitting in the fourth and sixth innings gave the Falcons just enough to hold off the pesky Coyotes in a 5-4 win that took just one hour and 18 minutes to play the seven inning game. Trailing 1-0 Karl Bolt launched another monster home run, a two-run shot to left, putting Air Force ahead 2-1 in the fourth.
The Falcons added three more insurance runs in the sixth, which proved to be the difference as Kansas Wesleyan rallied with three runs in the top of the seventh. With a runner on and one out in the sixth, the Coyotes decided to intentionally walk Bolt after his homer in the fourth. Matt Alexander, the next batter, made Kansas Wesleyan pay with a triple off the fence in right to score Bolt and Griggs. Ben Ausbun followed up with a single to left center to knock in Alexander and put Air Force ahead 5-1.
Falcon starter Mitch Brown turned in a solid effort, going six strong innings for the win. Brown improved to 1-1 on the season, striking out six batters and allowing just one run on three hits. Brown was completely dominant in stretches, pitching three 1-2-3 innings. Kansas Wesleyan made it interesting in the seventh scoring three runs off of Falcon reliever David Miller.
After putting up a run on a double play, Guy McGriff hit a two-run homer to left to make it a 5-4 game. Miller then induced pinch hitter Ronny Romo to ground out to Randhawa to end the game.
The Falcons return to action this weekend at the 2007 Service Academies Spring Classic. They take on Navy Feb. 23 and 24 and Akron on Feb. 25.
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