K-State finally got a game of baseball in at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, and the Wildcats took advantage with a 4-3 win over Texas Tech.
The Big 12 tournament was delayed a day because of the tragedy in nearby Moore, Oklahoma, and bad weather delayed the action on Thursday for nearly three hours.
The Wildcats did just enough to get to Tech ace Trey Masek, who suffered a loss for just the second time this season, and held off the Red Raiders thanks to a stellar effort from the K-State bullpen.
K-State jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second on a Jon Davis RBI ground out. The Red Raiders responded with a two-run home run from Eric Gutierrez in the top of the fourth to take a brief 2-1 lead. That was followed up by a three-run bottom of the fourth from the Wildcats to take the lead for good.
Tanner Witt and Shane Conlon led off the inning with back-to-back hits to set the tone. Jared King drove in Witt with a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 2-2. After Kyle Speer, who pinch hit for Austin Fisher, doubled down the right field line, Jon Davis drove in his second run of the game with the second sacrifice fly of the inning. One batter latter pinch runner Lance Miles scored on a Masek wild pitch to extend the lead to 4-2.
Tech got one run back in the sixth with a Jared Poteete RBI double, but the lethal combination of Nate Wiliams and Big 12 Freshman of the Year Jake Matthys out of the bullpen slammed the door shut the rest of the way.
K-State starter Blake McFadden set a new career high for innings pitched in a Big 12 game by going five and a third while allowing just three runs on five hits.
Davis finished as the only Wildcat with multiple RBI’s and Conlon had the only multi-hit game for K-State by going 2-for-4.
K-State will take on Baylor at 12:30 PM tomorrow in their second game of pool play at the Big 12 tournament. Levi MaVorhis (5-0, 3.33 ERA) will start on the mound for the Wildcats against Baylor’s Max Garner (3-6, 4.19 ERA). Pregame coverage starts at noon on Sports Radio 1350 KMAN.
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