Air Force rallies past Jackrabbits

Sunday, March 16

Pueblo, Colo.

11 a.m. MT

South Dakota State University

Air Force

3/16/2008 10:15:00 PM | Baseball

By: SDSU Sports Info

PUEBLO, Colo. -- Air Force's Addison Gentry tied the game with a grand slam in the fifth ining, and Chay Derbigny plated the go-ahead runs with a two-run single an inning later to lift the Falcons to an 11-8 victory over South Dakota State in collegiate baseball action Sunday afternoon.

By winning two of three games in the series, Air Force improved to 7-9. SDSU dropped to 5-9.

Trailing 1-0 after three innings, the Jackrabbits broke through with a five-run top of the fourth. Tyson Fisher led off the inning with a triple and later scored on Craig Parry's infield single. Max Fesnske doubled in two more runs, while the final two runs scored on a base hit by Tony Martin and sacrifice fly off the bat of Tim Hanigan.

Air Force came right back with two runs in the fourth to pull to within 5-3, but the Jackrabbits took their second four-run lead of the game in the fifth inning on a two-run home run by Stephen Turner, his first round-tripper of the season.

Gentry tied the game in the home half of the fifth with a grand slam to right center off SDSU starter Jared Koch. The Falcons took the lead for good with four more in the sixth inning against SDSU relievers Christian Larson and Mike Robinson. Air Force loaded the bases with no body out against Larson (0-3) before Derbigny singled up the middle against Robinson with one out. The final two runs scored on an error.

The Falcons out-hit the Jackrabbits, 14-11, despite two hits apiece from Fisher, Parry, Turner and Adams for the Jackrabbits. SDSU also turned three double plays in the game.

SDSU continues its Spring Break road trip with a two-game series Tuesday and Wednesday at Missouri. First pitch Tuesday is set for 6:30 p.m.