It took 12 innings, but DBU defeated Air Force 4-3 Friday in the series opener at Falcon Field in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Blayne Jones' RBI single gave the Patriots (16-5) the lead in the top of the 12th, as MacGregor Hines earned the win with three innings of stellar relief.

DBU took the first lead of the day in the fourth on an RBI bunt single by Hunter Vansau. The Falcons (9-8) tied the game an inning later, but Jackson Glenn drove in Christian Boulware with a go-ahead run in the seventh. Back-to-back doubles by Jimmy Glowenke and Evan Sandmann provided an insurance run in the eighth that would prove to be much-needed, as the Falcons answered with two of their own runs in the bottom of the frame.

Jones came to the plate with two on and two out in the 12th and singled up the middle to drive in the game-winning run. 

Jordan Martinson threw 7.0 innings of one-run baseball Friday, striking out eight batters and walking just one. Kragen Kechely earned the save with a scoreless 12th inning.

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
 - Jones has the game-winning RBI in each of the Patriots' last two games.
 - Friday's game was the first in extra innings on the season for DBU.
 - Ben McConnell collected two hits in his first career start.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
50 - Jimmy Glowenke extended his reached-base streak to 50 games with his first of two doubles Friday in the fourth inning. He is 19 games shy of Jason Krizan's Patriot record of 69.
206 - Martinson passed Cory Taylor for fifth in DBU's Division I era with his 206th career strikeout Friday. With his next strikeout, he will tie Cy Sneed for fourth.
12 - Friday's game was the longest by innings for the Patriots since April 4, 2015, a 5-4 win over Missouri State. By elapsed time, it was 42 minutes shorter than DBU's nine-inning game with Houston last Friday.

UP NEXT
The Patriots and Falcons resume their series with Game Two on Saturday. MD Johnson (3-1, 2.01 ERA) will face Matt Hargreaves (1-0, 1.20).