THE RUNDOWN
Sunday afternoon, DBU (8-4) turned in its second walk-off win of the season in a 16-15 victory over Air Force (2-8). Patriot starter
Ryan Borberg tossed four scoreless innings in a monumental bounce-back start, striking out four and only allowing two baserunners.
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Similar to Friday's contest between these two teams, the first inning was one of just two frames that finished scoreless. Borberg struck out two and allowed the only hit of his outing on a bunt before DBU went three-up, three-down.
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Borberg retired the side in order in the top of the second, paving the way for a four-run bottom half.
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Ben Tryon and
Chayton Krauss set the table with back-to-back singles to start the inning, before
Adam Berghult drew a one-out walk, loading the bases.
Cooper Neville then turned on a belt-high fastball and drove it over the right-center field wall for a grand slam, making the score 4-0.
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With one out in the top of the third, Borberg plunked Blake Campbell, before getting the next batter to roll into an inning-ending 1-6-3 double play.
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Chayton Krauss launched his first homer of the game after Tryon's second single of the night, making the score 6-0 DBU after three innings of play.
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In the entirety of the fourth inning, six batters came to the plate, and all six were retired.
Ryan Borberg struck out Christian Taylor to end his evening before the Patriots went down in order.
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The top of the fifth inning lasted over thirty minutes and saw twelve hitters come to the plate. The Falcons scratched across a whopping nine runs in the inning, forcing three different Patriot arms to come in and record an out. Seven of those nine runs came with two outs in the inning. After the top of the fifth, Air Force led 9-6.
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The Falcons went to the bullpen in the fifth inning, and the Patriots' bats were out for revenge.
Keaton Grady led off the inning with a double,
Jake Bennett and
Ben Tryon drew walks, which loaded the bases for
Chayton Krauss, who had already homered once. Krauss got a 1-0 fastball and crushed it over the batter's eye for a grand slam, giving DBU its lead back.
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The Falcons scratched two across with nobody out in the sixth on a Walker Zapp single, before
Max Luzarraga came in and cleaned up the mess.
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Trailing 11-10 in the bottom of the sixth,
Cooper Neville launched a lead-off homer to tie the game at 11. Neville barreled another fastball, this time sending it out more towards center field.
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Luzarraga pitched a scoreless top of the seventh, before
Adam Berghult launched a two-out home run of his own to left field in the bottom half, giving the Patriots a 12-11 lead.
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The Falcons loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the eighth, setting the table for Wyatt Hanoian to rip a bases-clearing double down the left field line.
JT Long was able to rebound and collect three outs, keeping the deficit at two.
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The Pats would get two runners on in the bottom of the eighth, but couldn't scratch a run across. DBU trailed 14-12 heading into the ninth.
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Ashton Branson got the ball for the ninth inning and allowed two singles to lead off the inning. He'd get the next two batters on a sacrifice bunt and a fielder's choice, putting runners on the corners with two outs. Hanoian would come through again for the second straight inning, however, singling to right field to drive in an insurance run. The Patriots went into the bottom of the ninth trailing 15-12.
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Landon Underhill led off the frame with a pinch-hit infield single before Berghult and Neville loaded the bases for the top of the order.
Keaton Grady singled as the runners moved station to station, with DBU now trailing by two.
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Bennett struck out on a slider before
Ryan Martin was plunked, driving in another while the bases were still loaded.
Ben Tryon then drove in the tying run on a 4-6 fielder's choice, leaving runners on the corners for Krauss, who already had six RBI on the day.
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With two outs and a full count, Krauss was given a fastball up in the zone that he was able to muscle into straightaway center field, scoring Grady, and serving as DBU's second walk-off win of the weekend.
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THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
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Chayton Krauss led everyone with seven RBI this afternoon.
- For the first time this season, two Patriots swatted multiple homers in the same game.
- DBU now owns 29 walk-off wins at Horner Ballpark (2013).
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INSIDE THE NUMBERS
31 - The last time 31 runs or more were scored in a DBU game was April 25, 2025, at Louisiana Tech (16-15 W).
5 -
Ben Tryon reached base a game-high five times this afternoon.
13 - 13 runs in a single inning between two teams is the most in a DBU game this season (previously ten).
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ON DECK
The Patriots head to Norman, Oklahoma, to take on the Sooners (10-2) in a midweek thriller. Tuesday's first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 pm.
