University of Northern Colorado Athletics
University of Northern Colorado
9-21, 0
Air Force
12-20, 0
Bears Win Two Against Air Force, Rally Late to Win Both Games
4/9/2025 7:21:00 PM | Baseball
Northern Colorado takes resumed 12-10 extra-inning opener before edging Air Force 8-7 in Game 2; Guest shines in relief with win and save.
GAME 1: Northern Colorado 12, Air Force 10 (10 Inn.)
The opener picked up in the top of the 10th after being suspended due to darkness back on Feb. 25 tied 10-10. The Bears wasted no time breaking the deadlock as Craig Kenny roped a go-ahead double and later scored on AJ Carter's RBI knock to center, giving UNC a 12-10 edge. That was all Luke Guest needed, as the right-hander shut the door with a clean bottom half to earn the win and move to 2-2 on the season.
It was a back-and-forth slugfest throughout the initial nine innings, featuring four combined home runs and 30 total hits.
Kai Wagner led the charge for the Bears with a 3-for-5 game, homering in the first, doubling in the fifth, and finishing with three RBIs and two runs scored. Tony Castonguay added a clutch two-run blast in the eighth to tie the game at 10 apiece, part of his four-RBI performance.
Northern Colorado trailed 8-1 through four innings but stormed back with seven unanswered runs in the fifth and sixth, highlighted by Dalton Miller's two-run double and a go-ahead RBI groundout from Castonguay.
On the mound, Guest tossed three shutout innings of relief, striking out three and allowing just two hits. The Bears' bullpen as a whole held strong, keeping Air Force off the board from the seventh inning on.
GAME 2: Northern Colorado 8, Air Force 7
Ethan Mooser delivered early with a two-run homer in the third inning to give UNC a 2-1 lead. He later added a sacrifice fly in the fourth for his third RBI of the day. Brandon Sanchez played a big role in the middle innings, going 2-for-4 with a triple, double, two RBIs, and a walk, while Brett Barber contributed with an RBI single and two runs scored.
After falling behind 5–2 in the third following a three-run homer by Air Force's Tripp Garrish, the Bears responded with two runs in the fourth, one in the fifth, and a three-run sixth inning capped by Sanchez's two-run triple and a sacrifice fly from Kai Wagner.
On the mound, Dylan Smith (1-5) earned his first win of the season with two scoreless innings of relief, while Luke Guest picked up his first save by working the ninth and stranding the tying run at second base.
Air Force made things interesting in the ninth, scoring twice on a wild pitch and a Walker Zapp RBI double, but Guest slammed the door with a strikeout and flyout to preserve the one-run win.
UNC finished with 10 hits on the day, led by multi-hit efforts from Sanchez, Wagner, and James Wright, who also had an RBI double.
UP NEXT
The Bears will return home for a three-game Summit League series against Oral Roberts April 11-13. Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Jackson Field.
FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of UNC Athletics, check out the official homepage at uncbears.com. Follow the baseball team on X (formerly Twitter) (@UNC_BearsBSB) and Instagram (@UNC_BearsBaseball).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Guest, Luke (2-2)
L: Collier, Joey (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Wagner, Kai 1 ; King, Jake 1 ; Kenny, Craig 1 ; Carter, AJ 1 ; Miller, Dalton 1
HR: Wagner, Kai 1 ; Castonguay, Tony 1
RBI: Sanchez, Brandon 1 ; Wagner, Kai 3 ; Castonguay, Tony 4 ; Kenny, Craig 1 ; Carter, AJ 1 ; Miller, Dalton 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Sanchez, Brandon 2 ; Wagner, Kai 2 ; Castonguay, Tony 1 ; Monda, Carter 1 ; Fisher, Keaton 1 ; Kenny, Craig 1 ; Barber, Nick 1 ; Stellato, Anthony 1 ; Miller, Dalton 2
SB: Sanchez, Brandon 1 ; Carter, AJ 1
HBP: Monda, Carter 1 ; Fisher, Keaton 1
Batting:
2B: Garrish, Tripp 1 ; Taylor, Christian 1
3B: Garrish, Tripp 1 ; Oster, T.J 1
HR: Adams, Alex 1 ; Taylor, Christian 1
RBI: Adams, Alex 2 ; Garrish, Tripp 2 ; Taylor, Christian 3 ; Oster, T.J 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Adams, Alex 2 ; Zapp, Walker 2 ; Garrish, Tripp 2 ; Taylor, Christian 1 ; Peters, Zach 1 ; Anstey, Cam 2
SB: Adams, Alex 1 ; Anstey, Cam 2
CS: Garrish, Tripp 1 ; Oster, T.J 1
HBP: Adams, Alex 1 ; Zapp, Walker 2 ; Anstey, Cam 1
