COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 16, 2025) – Washington State dropped the series rubber game at Air Force 14-9 on a windy Sunday afternoon at Erdle Field.
 
The first two games were played 45 minutes south of the Air Force Academy on the campus of CSU-Pueblo where Air Force won the opener 15-14 before the Cougars won game two 10-4.
 
Four WSU hitters recorded multiple hits as the Cougars took a 7-5 lead into the sixth inning but Air Force rallied with three runs in the sixth and six in the eighth to clinch the series. Will Cresswell and Luke Thiele each collected three hits as Cresswell homered and Thiele doubled twice.
 
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
The Cougars took an early 3-0 lead with three runs in the second behind a two-run single from Jack Weise and a fielder's choice groundout by Ollie Obenour. Air Force hit a two-run home run in the left field in the third and answered WSU fourth-inning run with an RBI-squeeze bunt to tie the game at four.
 
In the fifth, Ricco Longo doubled to left-centerfield and came around to score on a Logan Johnston triple to the very same spot. Thiele followed with an opposite field RBI-double off the right field wall to push the lead to 6-4 but Air Force came right back with a run on a wild pitch.
 
In the sixth, WSU added a run for 7-5 advantage but Air Force answered in a big way, taking advantage of a hit-by-pitch and a pair of walks to load the bases before a two-out bases-clearing double off the right field wall gave the Falcons an 8-7 lead.
 
Air Force had a pair of runners thrown out at the plate in the seventh inning. The first runner tried to score on a wild pitch but catcher Cresswell corralled the ball and flipped to Luke Meyers covering at the plate who made the tag. Air Force later tried to score from second base on an infield single to Thiele at third base who fired to cresswell at the plate for the third out.
 
In the eighth, Max Hartman lined a leadoff single to right field and Obenour worked a walk but Air Force induced a groundball double play and a groundout to third to end the threat.
 
In the bottom of the inning, Air Force blew things open with a two-run single through a drawn-in infield and followed with an opposite-field three-run home run to right field.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Ollie Obenour singled in the 1^st to extend his on-base streak to 15 games and hitting streak to 9
Gavin Roy singled in the 2^nd to extend his hitting streak to 9 games
Max Hartman singled in the 2^nd to extend his hitting streak to 13 games
Ricco Longo doubled in the 5^th to extend his hitting streak to 5 games
Ryan Skjonsby had his 11-game on-base streak snapped
 
NEXT UP
WSU returns home to host a weekend series with San Diego State beginning Friday.