May 4, 2007
GREELEY, Colorado - Utah Valley came out sluggish and it cost them in a 9-5 loss to Air Force on Friday. Karl Bolt single-handedly led the Falcons past the Wolverines with a home run, double and six runs batted in.
Bolt hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning and a three-run double in the seventh and also scored two runs for the 8-36 Falcons. The Wolverines fell to 19-27 and have now lost three straight.
Derrick Thomas hit his 10th home run of the season for Utah Valley and increased his average to an even .400 on the year while Eli Slesk had two doubles for UV.
Air Force broke through first and didn't even need a hit to do so. After Geno Salazar walked and advanced to second on a passed ball, Jason Griggs sacrificed him over before Matt Alexander drove him in on a groundout to second.
The Wolverines tied it up in the fourth after back-to-back doubles from Thomas and Austin Heaps. Thomas caught a break after a bloop single to left took a bad hop and allowed him to advance to second. Heaps then doubled down the right field line to drive in Thomas.
Air Force regained a one-run edge in the fifth when Josh Meents hit a home run to right, his second long ball of the season.
Meents homer started a string of five straight Falcon hits that were capped by Bolts' eighth home run that gave Air Force a 5-1 lead.
In the sixth, Thomas followed Slesk's second double with his 10th home run to cut the Air Force lead in half at 5-3.
The Wolverines crawled all the way back in the seventh when Scott Croshaw and Tyler Garretson both had two-out runs batted in, tying the game at five. Croshaw doubled home Jace Brinkerhoff before Garretson, playing in his hometown, singled to center to score Croshaw.
The lead wouldn't last long though as Air Force loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning with Bolt at the plate. The Falcon first baseman ripped one down the third base line to clear the bases.
The Wolverines will wrap up the trip with two games against Northern Colorado; Saturday at 3pm and Sunday at Noon.
