The Air Force Falcons baseball team saw their Mountain West Championship campaign end in an 11‑8 defeat to San Diego State, a loss that capped a surprising run to the semifinals and a third‑place conference finish.
After opening the game with a run in the second inning, the Falcons surged ahead in the fourth when Wyatt Hanoian launched a 422‑foot solo homer, extending the lead to 2‑0. A three‑run fifth pushed the advantage to 5‑0, and the team added three more in the sixth to sit comfortably at 8‑1.
A Late Surge
San Diego State refused to go quietly. The Aztecs rallied for five runs in the bottom of the sixth, cutting the deficit to 8‑6, and then exploded for three more in the eighth to complete an 11‑8 comeback.
Starter Patrick Davidson delivered a solid outing, striking out three while allowing just one hit and a run over 4.2 innings. Relievers Trey Rutledge and Gunner Gilmore each contributed, though Rutledge’s two‑thirds of an inning yielded five runs, and Sam Hentges surrendered four runs in his stint.
Despite the final loss, the Falcons finished the season with a third‑place conference finish and a memorable tournament run that exceeded early predictions, highlighted by performances from Landon Boyd, Ben Niednagel, Walker Zapp and the rest of the squad.