USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – Utah Valley University scored nine runs on 13 hits but it wasn't enough, as Air Force Academy managed to hang on to take Tuesday's contest, 12-9, and sweep the two-game non-conference midweek series. 
 
The two teams combined to score an impressive tally of 52 runs and bang out 59 hits over the two games on Monday and Tuesday at Falcon Field. Both teams also combined to draw a total of 42 free passes over the two games and strand a total of 43 runners on the base paths. 
 
UVU drops to 7-25 on the season with the setback, while the Mountain West Falcons improve to 15-15 with the victory.   
 
Air Force started the scoring in the second with a trio of runs to jump out to a 3-0 advantage. Wild pitches and walks aided the Falcons in the inning, as one run came home on a wild pitch and two more came in on RBIs from Alexander Pup and Nic Ready.
 
The Wolverines then responded with a run of their own in the third to make it 3-1. Trevor Howell singled to start the frame and later advanced to third after back-to-back wild pitches. He then came home on a RBI groundout from Kody Hall. 
 
AFA then tacked on a run in the third and two more in the fourth to make it 6-1. Trailing 6-1 in the fifth, UVU then got another run back on a leadoff solo home run from Kade Poulsen to center to make it a 6-2 ballgame. Poulsen's round tripper marked the first of the season for the UVU junior infielder. 
 
In the sixth, the Wolverines then managed to piece together a two-out rally to make it a one-run deficit at 6-5. After Pacen Hayes drew a walk and Jake Kirchhoff followed by taking one for the team, Poulsen then delivered his second RBI in as many innings with an RBI single to left to drive in Hayes. The senior Howell then followed with a two-run double down the leftfield line to bring home both Kirchhoff and Poulsen and pull the Wolverines within a run. 
 
The Falcons then got a two-run double from Drew Wiss followed by a solo homer off the bat of Monday's hero Ashton Easley in the bottom of the sixth to extend their lead to 9-5. AFA then tacked on a run in seventh to make it 10-5. 
 
With two outs and runners on the corners in the top of the eighth, Hall then came thru a two-run double to center for UVU make it 10-7. Utah Valley then loaded the bases after Michael Betran was hit by a pitch and Ryan Eastburn walked, but AFA's Easley came on to pitch and managed to retire Alexander Marco via a flyout to right to leave the bases loaded. 
 
AFA then added a pair of insurance runs in the last of the eighth on solo homers from Easley and Ready to extend its lead to 12-7 to take a late five-run advantage. 
 
UVU loaded the bases with nobody out in the ninth and looked to make things interesting. With one out, Howell was then hit by a pitch to bring home Mick Madsen to make it 12-8. Hall then promptly followed with a sacrifice fly to left to drive in Hayes to make it 12-9. With runners on first and second and the tying run at the plate with two away, AFA's Cole Blatchford got Beltran to flyout to right to end the game.  
 
Howell led the way for the Wolverines offensively by going a perfect 4-for-4 on the afternoon with two doubles, two runs scored and three runs batted in. Poulsen too had a nice game by going 2-for-5 with a homer, two runs scored and two RBIs. Easley led AFA by going 3-for-4 two homers, two runs scored and three RBIs. 
 
Matt Dalke (1-2) suffered the defeat on the mound for UVU, while Stevan Faiburn Jr. (1-0) went 5.2 innings for the Falcons to earn the win.  
 
Senior infielder Paul Estrada made his collegiate debut on the mound in relief for the Wolverines and recorded a strikeout while surrendering three runs in an inning of work. Freshman third baseman Mick Madsen too pitched an inning of relief for UVU and allowed two runs on three hits in an inning of work.
 
The contest marked UVU's fifth straight game in as many days, as it went 2-3 on the Colorado trip after taking two of three at Northern Colorado and dropping both games of the two-game midweek set at Air Force.
 
The Wolverines will now return home for a three-game WAC series against Chicago State at UCCU Ballpark this weekend (April 12-14). Game one is set for 6 p.m. on Friday, while game two will be played on Saturday at 2 p.m. and game three on Sunday at noon.