April 9, 2016
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. - San Jose State could not slow the nation's sixth-best offense and dropped both ends of a doubleheader, 12-4 and 13-7, Saturday afternoon at a rainy and windy Falcon Field.
San Jose State fell to 10-20 overall and 3-11 in Mountain West action. Air Force improved to 17-8 on the season and 7-4 in conference. The Falcons grabbed their third series win by virtue of taking the first three games of this weekend's four-game set.
In game one, a seven-inning make-up contest in which San Jose State was the home team, all 16 runs were scored in the first four innings. The Falcons scored one in the second, two in the second and third and blew the game open with a seven-run outburst in the fourth. The Spartans kept pace early with a run in the first and three in the second, but could not muster a run over the final five frames.
The four runs San Jose State scored off Air Force starter Griffin Jax (W, 6-1) doubled Jax's previous season high of two runs. Though he threw a 7.0-inning complete game, the 10 hits the Spartans recorded were also a season high for Jax and fell one short of matching his career mark.
After Air Force plated a run in the top of the first, David Campbell laced an RBI single into left center in the bottom half to knot the game at 1-1. The Falcons' two-spot in the second gave them a 3-1 lead that was erased when Joe Stefanki blasted his first career home run - a three-run shot - in the bottom of the second to give San Jose State a 4-3 lead. Air Force regained the lead in the third and never looked back.
Logan Handzlik (L, 1-2) got the start and took the loss. He worked 3.1 innings and surrendered nine runs on 10 hits while walking five and striking out one. Jonathan Hernandez took over in the fourth and yielded a pair of runs on three hits in the inning, but rebounded nicely to retire the next nine hitters.
Game two saw San Jose State grab a two-run lead in the first inning but Air Force go on to to post 13 runs on 15 hits. The Falcons also took advantage of three Spartan errors that prolonged rallies.
Matt Brown (L, 1-4) was tagged for 10 runs in 4.0 innings of work, but just three of them were earned. He was relieved by Zach Tanner, who tossed the final 4.0 innings and gave up three runs (two earned) while striking out four.
Campbell led the way in game two with a 3-for-4 effort that included a double and RBI single. Corey Olivet (2-4, two runs, two RBIs, double, two HBPs) reached base four times and contributed a pair of hits to the 11-hit output.
The series wraps up Sunday at 12:00 p.m. MT/11:00 a.m. PT. The contest was moved up an hour due to inclement weather in the forecast.