Baseball Starts Triangular Off On Right Foot :: Bears defeat Air Force 13-6 to win fifth straight at home

April 18, 2008

GREELEY, Colo. - Loving playing at home, the University of Northern Colorado baseball team won a 13-6 decision over the Air Force Academy in the first day of the triangular to improve to 13-22 on the season and 5-0 on the current homestand. The Falcons drop to 12-23 after splitting day one, winning the first game of the tournament 8-7 over Utah Valley in 10 innings.

AF jumped on the board first scoring two runs in the top of the first inning behind two hits and one Bear error, but NC answered right back scoring three in the first including a two-run home run by junior Kevin Sandberg. The Bears kept the momentum going, scoring four in the second frame behind a three-run shot by senior first baseman Chad Murray.

Northern Colorado added one run in each of the fourth and fifth innings to extend the lead to 9-2. The Falcons scored a pair in the seventh and the Bears again immediately responded with two of their own behind a long ball by senior short stop Cory Morales and tacked on another two in the eighth for the 13-4 advantage. The Falcons chipped away scoring two in the top of the ninth, but it was not enough.

Senior right-hander Jason Banks was on the hill for the first seven innings, striking out seven without walking a batter. He gave up four runs (two earned) on eight hits. Matthew Dudley pitched the eighth inning, surrendering one hit and striking out two, while senior T.R. Keating threw the ninth, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits with one strike out.

Phil Santucci tallied three hits on the day, going 3-for-5 and scoring two runs. Andy Mees, Morales, Sandberg, Erik Whinery and Erik Hegstad each had two base knocks as the Bears had 13 runs on 17 hits, but had four errors. Air Force had six runs on 11 hits and committed three errors.

Utah Valley and Air Force open action tomorrow morning with a game scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. and then the Wolverines and Bears follow with a game at 2:00 p.m. The tournament concludes on Sunday with NC and UV at 10:00 a.m. and NC and AF at 2:00 p.m.