PUEBLO, Colo. – San Diego State was unable to keep pace with an opportunistic Air Force squad Sunday, dropping a 13-3 decision in eight innings in the finale of a Mountain West series at Rawlings Park on the CSU-Pueblo campus.
The Aztecs yielded a season-high 16 hits and gave up seven walks, falling to 6-13 overall and 2-7 in conference action, while the Falcons completed the sweep with their fifth straight victory, levelling their record at 9-9 on the season and taking over first place in the MW with a 5-1 mark in league play. In addition, Air Force's 13 runs were tied for the most by an SDSU opponent this year.
For the third consecutive game, the Falcons scored first and were never headed after plating three markers in the first inning on Sunday. Aerik Joe raced home on a double to left by Jay Thomason, who later scored on Chase Spencer's two-run single through the left side, along with Sam Kulasingam.
The Aztecs answered with Xavier Gonzalez's run-scoring single in the second and Irvin Weems' RBI groundout in the sixth but could not seize the upper hand.
Nursing a slim 3-2 advantage, Air Force gave itself some separation after sending 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the sixth, scoring five runs on five hits. Following Ben Niednagel's RBI single and Kulasingam's run-scoring double with one out, the Falcons broke the game open when Jake Greiving drew a bases-load walk, while Spencer reached on an infield hit to score Kulasingam before Thomason crossed the plate on a wild pitch.
Air Force increased its advantage to 9-2 in the seventh when Niednagel led off with a walk and circled the bases on Connor Christenson's double to left.
Colby Turner homered for the third time this season with a solo shot in the top of the eighth, but the Scarlet and Black could draw no closer.
The Falcons promptly ended the contest with a four-run outburst on five straight hits in the bottom of the inning, punctuated by Walker Zapp's RBI triple to right center.
Air Force starter Ben Weber (1-1) earned the victory after giving up two unearned runs on five hits and one walk while striking out three in seven innings of work, while Xavier Cardenas III (1-3) was tagged with the loss. Despite a career-high eight strikeouts, Cardenas allowed seven runs on nine hits and four walks in 5 1/3 innings pitched.
Spencer led all players with three hits and four RBIs for the Falcons, while Christenson, Kulasingam, Zapp and Christian Taylor finished with two apiece.
Conversely, Turner topped the Aztecs with two hits of his own and two runs scored in the loss.
UP NEXT
San Diego State resumes its road swing next weekend when it travels to the Aloha State for a three-game non-conference series vs. Hawai'i at Les Murakami Stadium, March 22-24, in Honolulu.
Aztecs Drop Series Finale vs. Air Force
