The most thrilling season in the 117-year history of the Kansas State Baseball program came to an end late Monday night in Corvallis, Oregon as the Oregon State Beavers held off a late Wildcat comeback to defeat K-State 4-3 and advance to the College World Series by winning the Super Regional series two games to one.
After scoring five runs in the first inning of Game 2 on Sunday evening, Oregon State waited until the top of the second in Game 3 to break out on the scoreboard as Danny Hayes drove a Jake Matthys pitch over the center field wall for a two-run homer. The Beavers added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings on a Kavin Keyes RBI double and a two-out error by Wildcat shortstop Austin Fisher respectively. The Wildcats got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Jared King that drove home Ross Kivett.
After bringing the tying run to the plate in the seventh inning but failing to score, K-State pulled to within a run in the bottom of the eighth on a two-out two-run double to left by catcher Blair DeBord. DeBord was then thrown out at home after Oregon State left fielder Michael Conforto trapped R.J. Santigate’s single then threw a perfect strike to catcher Jake Rodriguez.
In the ninth, the Wildcats brought the winning run to the plate when Kivett scratched out an infield single with one out. However, Tanner Witt flied out to right and Shane Conlon fouled out to first to end the game and the season for the Wildcats. Oregon State will face Mississippi State in the first game of the College World Series Saturday in Oamaha. The Bulldogs punched their ticket earlier Monday when they completed a two-game sweep of Virginia.
Kansas State (45-19) finishes the most successful season in their history. It was a season that saw Kansas State win its first conference championship in Baesball in 80 years adding to titles in Football and Men’s Basketball and also saw the Wildcats set a record for most conference victories and win their first ever Regional Championship.
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