THE RUNDOWN
Friday night, DBU (7-3) took down Air Force (2-7) in a barnburner, winning 15-11. Patriot starter
Jared Schaeffer tossed five innings, recording five strikeouts and allowing two earned runs in his second win of the season.
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Schaeffer struck out the side in the top of the first, using three different pitch types to land each punchout. The Patriots would go quiet in the bottom half, ending what would be the only scoreless frame of the night.
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Air Force would draw first blood in the top of the second with a sacrifice fly. Schaeffer stranded the remaining baserunners to keep the score at 1-0.
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DBU turned in the first of its four multi-run innings of the night in the second, and it was kick-started by back-to-back singles from
Ben Tryon and
Dylan Cupp. Tryon would come around to score on a
Landon Underhill sac bunt attempt where the ball was thrown up the foul line, and
Keaton Grady added to the damage with a two-run single to right field. After two, the Patriots led 3-1.
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Schaeffer walked the lead-off hitter in the third, but partnered with
Adam Berghult to record a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play on the next at-bat. Air Force would be held scoreless in the top of the third after stranding a runner on second base after a two-out double.
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DBU added another three-run frame in the bottom of the third.
Ryan Martin, Tryon, and Cupp worked to load the bases with one out. Underhill drove Martin in with a 3-6 fielder's choice before an errant pick-off during the next at-bat scored Tryon, and advanced Underhill to third. Berghult then walked to create a first and third situation, where the Patriots executed a double steal, as Underhill scampered home after the initial throw went down to second base. After three, DBU led 6-1.
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Air Force manufactured a two-out, unearned run in the fourth, as a weak ground ball got through the left side of the infield. The Patriots would be held scoreless in the bottom half, making the score 6-2.
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Schaeffer conceded a one-out solo home run over the left-field wall to Landon Boyd in the top of the fifth, before getting the next hitter to roll over and striking out his last batter of the game.
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In the bottom of the fifth,
Ben Tryon responded by pulling a front-hip breaking ball 364 feet over the right field wall. This big fly brought Tryon within a triple shy of the cycle.
Dylan Cupp then doubled, setting the table for
Luke Pettitte to pinch hit for Underhill with a lefty on the mound. This was Pettitte's first appearance of the season, and he laced an RBI single up the middle before being lifted for a pinch runner in the form of
Jude Hall. After five, the Patriots led 8-3.
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Air Force wouldn't go down without a fight, however, as Walker Zapp came off the bench to lift a two-out, pinch-hit grand slam into the DBU bullpen after three walks earlier in the inning.
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The top of the sixth was just the tip of the iceberg of a marathon frame, as the Patriots would respond with a whopping six runs in the bottom half. Free passes were the theme of the inning, as DBU would plate two runs before its first hit in the inning.
Adam Berghult and
Keaton Grady recorded the only hits — both driving in runs — of a half-inning that lasted over 30 minutes. After six frames, the Patriots led 14-7.
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Yet again, the Falcons would fight their way back into the ballgame in the top of the next inning. Kayden Bradshaw drove in a run with a 5-4 fielder's choice before Walker Zapp lofted his second homer of the night over the left field wall, this time a three-run blast, making the score 14-11 through the top of the seventh.
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DBU went down in order in the bottom of the seventh, sending the red-hot Falcon bats back to the plate.
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Armani Knipper struck out the lead-off hitter before walking the next batter and being relieved for
Athan Kroll. Kroll then sat down the next two hitters on strikeouts, looking.
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Cooper Neville set the table for an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth with a two-out single and steal, before
Keaton Grady earned his fourth RBI of the night with a single to center. After eight innings, DBU led 15-11.
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Athan Kroll went out for the ninth and made quick work of the Falcons' 8-9-1 hitters, setting each of them down on strikes, cementing the Patriots' seventh win of the season.
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THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- In a 52-minute sixth inning, ten total runs came across on just four combined hits (eight walks, two HBP).
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Ryan Martin extended his active hitting streak to eight games tonight.
- Patriot hitters earned nine free passes for the third time this season.
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INSIDE THE NUMBERS
700 - With tonight's victory, head coach
Dan Heefner has eclipsed 700 career wins as a collegiate head coach.
26 - 26 is the most total runs scored in any nine-inning DBU game since March 29th, 2025, at New Mexico State (16-13 win).
14 - There were 14 total runs scored from the top of the sixth through the top of the seventh.
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ON DECK
The Patriots return home this weekend to host both Oral Roberts (3-5) and Air Force (2-5). Thursday's first pitch against the Golden Eagles is scheduled for 6:35 pm.
