NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

Baseball: AF drops 6-3 contest to Hawai'i at Hilo

by Nick Arseniak

Air Force failed to hold a lead for the third game in a row, as Hawai'i at Hilo rallied with a 6-3 win March 30 at Francis K. Wong Stadium here.

The loss drops the Falcons to 5-23 on the season while the Vulcans improved to 8-23.

The Falcons led 3-2 in the ballgame when Hilo rallied with three runs in the sixth to go ahead 5-3. With one out and runners on first and third, shortstop K.J. Randhawa could not get a firm grasp of the ball on a potential inning-ending double play and allowed the tying run to score. Dayne Ogawa then singled to score the runner and Jon Vitale had an RBI-ground out for the following two runs.

Air Force had seven hits in the game, led by Daniel Walker. Walker went 3-for-4 with two runs and a hit by pitch. Hilo had nine hits in the game, led by A.J. Satele who went 2-for-3 with a pair for doubles.

Hilo reliever Emil DeAndreis (1-1) earned the win with 3.1 scoreless innings pitched. Vulcan starter Jeff Germain went 3.2 innings, allowing three runs off five hits. Karl Mass picked up his second save of the season with two scoreless innings pitched.

Falcon reliever Michael Ruvolo (0-4) took the loss, his fourth in the last five games, for the Falcons. Air Force starter Alex Truesdale went five-plus innings but had to leave the game in the sixth after getting hit in the hand on a line drive single by David Chu. Truesdale held Hilo to three runs off five hits.

The Falcons wasted little time getting onto the scoreboard, putting two runs up in the first. Daniel Walker doubled to right on the first pitch of the game and got to third on a drag-bunt single down the third base line by Chay Derbigny. Karl Bolt followed up with a sacrifice fly to deep left field to score Walker. Later in the inning, Geno Salazar laced a timely two out single to left to score Derbigny.

Hilo responed with a pair of runs in the second to tie the game at 2-2.

The Falcons loaded the bases in the second and third innings but failed to score. The Falcons then loaded the bases in the fourth and finally did score, as Geno Salazar drew a bases-loaded walk - the third consecutive walk by Germain - to score Walker and put the Falcons back ahead 3-2.

Air Force could not hold the lead, as the Vulcans put up three runs in the sixth to go ahead 5-3.

Hilo tacked on an insurance run in the eighth to make it a 6-3 game.

The Falcons and Vulcans conclude the series with a doubleheader March 31.

Source: U.S. Air Force

judythpiazza@gmail.com