MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State used a pair of four-run innings and solid pitching from four different hurlers as the Wildcats evened their three-game series against Pacific with a 12-1 victory Saturday afternoon at Tointon Family Stadium. With the win, K-State improved to 4-5 on the year, while the Tigers fell to 2-9.
Center fielder Jared King went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two of which came on his first home run of the season to complete a four-run fifth inning. The Dublin, Ohio, product collected his sixth multi-hit game of the season – including his third with at least three hits – while it was his first multi-RBI game of the year.
Mike Kindel went 1-for-3 with a two-RBI single as part of a four-run third. Kindel’s base hit was immediately after a bases-loaded walk by Matt Giller and proved to be the end of the day for Pacific starting pitcher John Haberman (0-2). Designated hitter Jon Davis followed Kindel with a sacrifice fly to complete the four-run frame.
“We’re just trying to get guys to not press so much, and it helps when you get on top early,” Hill said. “I thought our offensive approach was better. We had patience when we needed patience. Mike Kindel gives us a big hit in the four-run inning, which was a big hit with the bases loaded. It was just a better atmosphere all around today.”
Junior left-hander Joe Flattery (2-1) took the win in his third start of the season, allowing just one run on five hits with no walks and four strikeouts. His four fanned batters were a career high after totaling just one in his previous two starts. The Iowa Central CC transfer faced just one over the minimum in his first four innings before allowing a two-out RBI single to Josh Simms in the fifth.
Freshman Matt Wivinis followed Flattery with two no-hit innings while walking one and striking out two. Another freshman, Caleb Wallingford, worked around a two-out single to pitch a scoreless eighth inning.
Junior Tanner Witt, who started the game in left field, pitched the ninth inning and allowed one hit. It was Witt’s first career appearance on the mound after pitching in high school and gaining experience as a pitcher this past fall. He became the first Wildcat to start a game in the batting order and later pitch since 2007.
King produced the first Wildcat run of the game with a RBI single in the first inning. K-State also scored two in the fourth in between its two four-run innings on consecutive two-out RBI singles by Giller and Wade Hinkle.
Ross Kivett registered his third two-hit game of the season and drove in a run on a single in the fifth. Jake Brown drove in the final Wildcat run of the game on a fielder’s choice in the sixth.
Haberman surrendered five runs on three hits in 2.1 innings to drop his first decision of the season. The Pacific hurler didn’t do himself any favors as he walked five batters, three of which eventually scored. Tyler Sullivan led the Tigers at the plate by going 2-for-3.
(Story courtesy of KStateSports.com)
