Army Falls to Air Force at Armed Forces Invitational

Saturday, February 29

Fayetteville, NC

5 p.m.

Army West Point

2-7

Air Force

2-9

ARMY

Air Force

Army Falls to Air Force at Armed Forces Invitational

February 29, 2020 | Baseball

Box Score

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Army West Point baseball team was defeated by service academy rival Air Force 7-3 in their second meeting at the Armed Forces Invitational on Saturday.

The Black Knights were able to jump ahead in the middle innings in support of starting pitcher Ray Bartoli, who tossed 5.1 innings of one-run ball. Bartoli exited with a 3-1 lead, highlighted by Andre Walden's first home run of the season that broke a 1-1 tie in the top half of the sixth.

Air Force jumped on the Army bullpen in the seventh and eighth innings, scoring three runs in each inning to win the game 7-3.

Third baseman Anthony Giachin continued his strong series at the plate, going 2-2 with an RBI. The junior is 6-11 (.545), with 4 RBIs over Army's last three games.

Army will look to rebound on Sunday when the team closes out the Armed Forces Invitational in a matchup with Campbell at 11 a.m.

HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES:

Ray Bartoli continued Army's string of quality starts, going 5.1 innings with 4 hits allowed.
Army got on the board first when Anthony Giachin grounded a single through the right side to plate Tim Simoes.
Air Force was able to even the score in the second on a Christian Gambale RBI single to left.
Both starters settled in, with Bartoli retiring 10 consecutive batters through the fifth inning.
Andre Walden broke the tie with a leadoff home run in the sixth. It was his first of the season and sixth of his career.
They were able to add another run later in the inning. After a John McKenna double set Army up with runners on second and third, Jeremiah Adams drove in a run on a groundout to second.
Air Force fought back with three runs in the bottom of the seventh and three more runs in the eighth to win the game 7-3.