Utes Drop Finale With Falcons

Sunday, March 18

Salt Lake City

1:00 PM MT

University of Utah

Air Force

3/18/2001 12:00 AM | Baseball

March 18, 2001

Box Score

SALT LAKE CITY - One day after pounding Air Force for 26 runs and 36 hits, the Ute offense couldn't get anything going on Sunday. Utah (14-11, 4-2 MWC) fell behind early and never responded, eventually losing the game 10-6. Air Force (14-14, 1-5 MWC) outhit the Utes 10-6.

Air Force jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Gerremy Goldsberry led off the inning getting hit by a pitch from Brett Lindsey (2-3). Then Josh Phifer walked and Price Paramore moved them over with a sacrifice bunt. Brad Bashore drove in the Falcons first run with an RBI single to center. Then after Daniel Petro popped to second, Bowie Frost tripled to right past a diving Brit Pannier. Bashore and Phifer scored and Frost was thrown out at the plate trying for an inside the park homer.

Air Force added two more in the fourth on a double, single, wild pitch, hit batter and ground out. The damage could have been worse in the inning, but Ute reliever Jon Lewis (1-2) got Goldsberry to groung out to Nate Weese at first with the bases loaded.

The Utes crossed the plate in the fifth after Sam Swenson led off with his seventh double of the season, he advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Pannier. Utah scored twice more in the sixth after Donald Hawes was hit by a pitch, Donnie Saba doubled to left center driving in Hawes. Saba later scored on a Nate Weese sacrifice fly.

After eight Utah had cut the lead to 6-5, but Air Force blew it open in the ninth. After Nelson Prouty singled, Utah replaced Mitch Maio (2-0) with Matt McAfee (0-1) on the mound. McAfee was called for a balk allowing Prouty to advance to second. Prouty scored when Mike Thiessen reached on an error by Ute shortstop Tommy Maestas, his second of the day. Pinch hitter Nick Liegel then got a bunt single before Paramore drove Thiessen home with a single to center. McAfee then threw a wild pitch allowing Liegel to score, giving the Falcons a 10-5 lead.

Utah got a run in the ninth to cut the lead to 10-6, but Hawes struck out with a man on second to end the game. Saba led the Utes with two hits while scoring twice and driving in two more. In the three game series he finished with eight hits in 14 at bats. Saba also scored seven runs and drove in five.

Lindsey took the loss for the Utes after allowing five earned runs in three innings of work. Falcons starter Michael Tufte (5-3) dominated the Utes early, holding them to a bunt single through the first four innings.