Air Force trounces New Mexico 25-6 to maintain tournament position

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.- The Falcons scored in eight of nine innings while producing 29 hits in Thursday's 25-6 win.

Sam Kulasingam finished 4-7 with 4 RBI, falling a double short of the cycle. Kulasingam slugged his 10th home run of the season to close a six-run 5th for Air Force. The sophomore also drove in a run with a triple an inning later.

Kulasingam now has 95 hits this season, tying Bradley Haslam (2016) for the most hits in a single season in program history. His 156 total bases is 4th-most all-time, as Mark Frankenberg's 162 total bases in 1988 remains the program record.

Gabriel Garcia also had four hits, including a home run and a double. Garcia lined his 12th home run of the season in the 1st to give the Falcons an initial 1-0 lead. Jay Thomason left the yard in the 5th as part of a 3-4 day. His 15th home run of the season was a three-run blast, as his no-doubter extended the Air Force lead to 11-1.

Blake Covin launched the fourth Falcons dinger of the evening in the 6th, his third homer of the spring. The Air Force center fielder managed a season-high 4 RBI to go with his three hits.

Air Force's 78 home runs this season stands as a new program record.

Cayden Zimmerman, Trayden Tamiya and Aerik Joe each had three hits as well, as all 13 players to record an at-bat produced a hit for the Falcons. The Falcons 29 hits on Thursday becomes the fourth-most hits in a single game in program history, and the most ever in a Mountain West Conference matchup. Air Force's 25 runs scored is also a program record in regards to Mountain West play.

Thursday's victory is the largest winning margin (19 runs) in a conference game for Air Force since joining the Mountain West.

Paul Skenes won his ninth game of the spring, allowing just one run over five innings. Skenes surrendered a solo home run in the 1st, but allowed just three hits over his next four scoreless innings. With Air Force leading 18-1 entering the bottom of the 6th, Skenes was relieved by Duke Benge, who tossed a scoreless inning.

Skenes' nine wins ties him for second-most wins in a single season in program history.

CJ Dornak was given the baseball for the final 1.1 innings, and the senior was perfect. The right-hander retired all four batters he faced, picking up a looking strikeout as well.

With Air Force triumphant and Fresno State falling to Nevada 13-10, the Falcons need one win over the next two games to secure a berth in the Mountain West Tournament.

Game Two between Air Force and New Mexico is slated for Friday, May 20, with first-pitch scheduled for 6 pm MT.

Footer

The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the u.s air force of non-u.s. government sites or the information, products, or services contained therein. Although the u.s. air force may or may not use these sites as additional distribution channels for department of defense information, it does not exercise editorial control over all of the information that you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this website.