Air Force Academy

April 24, 2009

Box Score

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. - Ben Ausbun's two-run homer rallied Air Force to a 7-5 Mountain West Conference win over UNLV Friday afternoon at Falcon Field. The Falcons have now won three in a row and improved to 14-24, 3-7 while the Rebels dropped to 20-21, 5-8.

Trailing 5-3, Air Force struck for four runs in the seventh, capped by Ausbun's two-run homer down the right field line, off UNLV reliever Chad Nading. It was Ausbun's second homer of the game, as the junior from Puyallup, Wash., finished the day 2-for-4 with three RBIs.

Air Force continued to get excellent pitching, including clutch relief work late in the game. Starter Casey Allen (1-2) settled down after a slow start, holding UNLV to just one run over his last five innings pitched. Allen picked up his first win of the season, allowing five runs in seven innings of work.

Senior Jake Petro pitched a scoreless eighth and freshman Aaron Kurcz worked through a scoreless ninth to pick up the save. It was Kurcz's third consecutive save in as many games and seventh on the year, the most by a Falcon since Todd Ladd had nine saves in 1998.

UNLV starter Tanner Peters (5-3) took the loss, allowing six runs in 6.1 innings of work. Nading pitched the final 1.2 innings for the Rebels.

The game started out with home runs flying out of the yard as the two teams combined for five homers in the first three innings. Seven home runs total were hit on the day.

Air Force got solo homers from Ausbun, Daniel Walker and Addison Gentry. Bryan Resnick hit two homers, including a three-run shot and Kyle Kretchmer also homered for UNLV.

The Falcons had nine hits on the day. Gentry, Matt Alexander, Ausbun and Walker had two hits each. Alexander also had a clutch, two-RBI single that tied the game in the seventh prior to Ausbun's heroics.

Game two of the three game series resumes tomorrow at 1 p.m. Internet radio and live stats will be available for the game.