@NCBearsBaseball Outlasts Air Force in Slugfest

Tuesday, May 16

USAF Academy, CO

1 pm

University of Northern Colorado

19-28

Air Force Academy

25-25

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Northern Colorado	0	0	2	3	0	5	3	0	0	13	15	2
Air Force	4	0	0	1	4	1	0	0	1	11	13	1

5/16/2017 7:47:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Northern Colorado baseball picked up a 13-11 win over Air Force Tuesday afternoon

By: Ryan Pfeifer, UNCBears.com

USAFA - Northern Colorado baseball out-lasted Air Force Tuesday afternoon 13-11 in an offensive affair. The Bears out-hit the Falcons by a margin of 15-to-13.

How it Happened
Air Force's first three batters reached base with a single and hit by pitch, before Tyler Jones had a sharply hit ball through the left side to bring home the first run of the game. The Falcons kept the inning going recording two more hits and capitalizing on a UNC error to lead 4-0 after the first.

Northern Colorado loaded the bases to start the second with a walk, single and fielding error, but were unable to capitalize as Air Force escaped the threat with a strikeout and double play.

After missing on the opportunity in the second, UNC cashed in on one in the third. Nick Tanner started the inning with his second walk of the game, while Dean Lawson had a hard hit grounder go off the Air Force pitcher and into the outfield for a double.

Jack Pauley drove home the first Bears' run of the game with his ground out to the first baseman. Northern Colorado then loaded the bases again with a pair of walks and only one out.

Evan Johnson made sure the team didn't squander the chance this time with an RBI single through the right side. Cole Maltese tried to score on the play, but was thrown out at home as UNC ended the inning down 4-2.

In the fourth, Northern Colorado continued to work away at the Falcons lead, cutting it to one as Nick Tanner singled to center driving home Tyler Yamaguchi. Tanner scored to even the game when Dean Lawson smoked a shot off of the wall in left field. The hit came just after Lawson fouled a pitch right off of his shin causing a small break in the action. He ended up coming home to give the Bears the lead on a wild pitch by Falcons pitcher Evan Floyd to make it a 5-4 game.

Air Force evened the game at five in the bottom half of the inning, by loading the bases and then seeing Tyler Jones being hit by a pitch from Issac Bracken.

While Northern Colorado was unable take of a bases loaded situation in the fifth, Air Force was. Leadoff man Adam Groesbeck hit a ball of the wall that in right center that turned into an inside-the-park grand slam to put the Falcons up 9-5.

The Bears regained the advantage in the top of the sixth though, thanks to a pair of long balls. First Jack Pauley delivered a two-run shot to cut the Air Force lead in half. After a pair of walks by Cole Maltese and Brett Minnick, Evan Johnson hit his fifth homer of the season to put UNC up 10-9.

After Air Force tied the game in the bottom of the sixth, Jack Pauley reclaimed the lead for the Bears with his fourth and fifth RBI of the game on a double down the right field line. He then scored the team's 13th run of the day on Evan Johnson's single up the middle.

The Falcons tried a late comeback, scoring one in the ninth, but no closer than that.

Game Changer
In a game full of offense it was a defensive play late in the game that was the difference. Air Force was looking to put together another rally in the eighth with a leadoff single on first. Tyler Zabojnik hit a grounder up the middle, but Tyler Yamaguchi made a diving stop to start a 6-4-3 double play to kill the rally.

Notable
- Evan Johnson had a career day at the plate going 5-for-5 with five RBIs and scored a run as well. Of his five hits one was a double and another a three-run home run.
- Johnson wasn't the only Bear with five RBIs, Jack Pauley did so as well. He was 2-for-6 on the day scoring twice as well.
-Dean Lawson and Nick Tanner set the table for UNC combining to go 5-for-8 also drawing three walks. They ended up scoring seven of the Bears 13 runs.
- Pacients at the plate was big for Northern Colorado, drawing a season-high 11 walks.

Quotable
Head Coach Carl Iwasaki
"We started the final week of the regular season with a solid team win. We battled an Air Force squad which is the top offensive team in the country. We had a very productive offensive day lead by Evan Johnson, Nick Tanner and Jack Pauley. Keenan Lum pitched a tough four innings to secure his second Division I win. We need to keep this momentum going in to our final WAC series this weekend with Chicago State."

What's Next?
The Bears close out the regular season this week hosting a key three-game series against Chicago State. The series is set to start on Thursday at 3 pm in Pueblo due to weather in Greeley. The game will be played at the home stadium of CSU-Pueblo.