Ben Johnson and Tres Barerra hit home runs in the 10th inning and the Texas was able to stop a K-State rally in the bottom half allowing the Longhorns to hold on for a 9-8 victory in the 2014 season finale for the Wildcats before 2,811 on Sunday afternoon at Tointon Family Stadium.
After Texas got on the board in the top of the first, K-State struck for three runs in the bottom of the second inning on a double by Alex Bee, a single by Saturday night’s hero Austin Fisher and a bases-loaded walk to Max Brown. However, Texas tied the game in the top of the fourth on Barerra’s first home run of the day and when another run scored on a double-play ground out by Kacy Clemens. The Longhorns then extended their lead to 7-3 with three runs in the sixth and another tally in the seventh inning.
K-State began to battle back however scoring a single run in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single by Taylor Anderson and then tied the game back up in the eighth with three runs on a single by R.J. Santigate and a two-run single by Blair DeBord. K-State loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth but Fisher grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to send the game to extra innings.
In the 10th Johnson led off with a towering home run to left off losing pitcher Nate Griep (3-7). One out later Barerra gave the Longhorns insurance with his second homer of the day and third of the series. K-State had a threat in the bottom of the 10th and pushed a run across the plate when Texas closer and winning pitcher Ty Culbreth (2-0) was called for a balk that also advanced DeBord to second after he had reached on a throwing error. DeBord went to third on a groundout by Anderson but couldn’t score as pinch-hitter Mitch Meyer flew out to center to end the game and the season for K-State.
One season after the Wildcats came within one run of playing in the College World Series, the defending Big 12 Champions beset by injuries and other issues failed to qualify for this season’s Big 12 Tournament. Four seniors made their final appearance in a Wildcat uniform on Sunday. They include DeBord, Ross Kivett, Jared Moore and Santigate.
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