In what started as a promising series, ended in defeat for K-State as Baylor rallied to win each of the final two games at Baylor Ballpark. The Cats claimed the series opener 3-2 on Thursday night, and led 8-6 going into the eighth inning before the Bears rallied for 10-8 victory in 13 innings thanks to a pair of two-run homers on Friday night. K-State would jump out to a 3-0 lead on Baylor on Saturday, then saw Baylor score seven unanswered runs, and a 3-run rally in the top of the ninth landed just short in a 7-6 loss.
Tanner Witt helped K-State jump on Baylor in the first inning with an RBI single for a 1-0 lead, plating Ross Kivett, who was hit by a pitch to begin the game. The Cats scored two more runs in the second on a Blair DeBord RBI single to left field and a bunt single by Kivett to make it 3-0. Bear starting pitcher Bobby McCormick exited the game in the inning, but the bullpen combination of Crayton Bare and Austin Stone held K-State off the board until the final frame.
Baylor tied the score off Matt Wivinis (4-1) in the fourth inning with an RBI single from Grayson Porter, and a two-out two-run single by Jake Miller. Wivinis would pitch into the sixth inning when would again strike for a trio of runs, keyed by a Cal Towey two-run double. The winning run ultimately came in the eighth inning in the form of an RBI single by Logan Brown in the eight to make it 7-3 Bears.
The first three K-State runners reached base in the top of the ninth with singles by Kivett and Witt, followed by Shane Conlon, who found first base after Baylor left fielder Adam Toth dropped an easy catch in fair territory. The Cats’ first run came home when Jared King reached on a fielders’ choice with the bases loaded. King stole second, and Santigate knocked in two on an RBI single to pull K-State within 7-6. Austin Fisher then walked, but DeBord struck out on a 1-2 slider to end the game against Baylor closer Ryan Smith.
K-State drops to 18-10 and 3-3 in the Big 12 with the loss, and will welcome Nebraska to Tointon Family Stadium for a 6:35pm first pitch on Tuesday. The BD4 Distributing pregame show begins at 6:00 on KMAN.
