Kansas State threatened fourth-ranked Texas Tech behind Drew Mount’s three hits and four RBI Sunday afternoon, but the Red Raiders completed the three-game series sweep of the Wildcats, 9-6, at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.
K-State (15-21, 2-10 Big 12) took a 3-1 lead into the fourth inning, but Cody Farhat’s three-run home run put Texas Tech (29-8, 8-4 Big 12) in front. The Red Raiders would never relinquish their lead, adding five more runs, including a two-run homer from Cameron Warren in the seventh.
Mount’s fourth RBI of the game helped the Cats trim TTU’s lead just two, 8-6, in the eighth. But an insurance run from the Red Raiders in the bottom half of the inning kept K-State at arm’s length.
Mount led the Wildcats with his 3-for-3, four RBI day as each of his three singles brought home K-State runs.
Texas Tech scored seven unanswered runs, spanning from the fourth to seventh innings, and kept K-State hitless over that same span.
K-State took its first lead of the series with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning off Texas Tech starter John McMillon. Will Brennan drew a leadoff walk and stole second base. After Cameron Thompson’s double, the duo was in scoring position for Mount, who drove them both in with a single to center field.
The Red Raiders cut the Cats’ lead in half with a run in the home half of the first. Starter Kasey Ford walked the first two hitters he faced and an RBI single from Josh Jung plated a run before an out was recorded. A third walk loaded the bases, but a 4-6-3 double play ended the TTU threat.
Ford pitched just two innings, allowing an earned run on one hit with four walks issued and did not factor into the decision.
Mount extended the Wildcats’ lead with his second RBI single of the game in the third inning. Dylan Watts was hit by a pitch and Thompson drew a walk, both with two outs, prior to Mount collecting his third run batted in and gave the Cats a 3-1 lead.
Reliever Brogan Heinen lifted Mitch Zubradt with two on and one out in the fourth and surrendered Farhat’s go-ahead three-run home run that put Tech in front, 4-3. Zubradt, who came on in the third for Ford, gave up a walk and single. Jaxson Passino entered for Heinen, who did not record an out, and retired the first two he faced to escape the frame.
Zach Rheams ripped a two-run double in the fifth off Tyler Eckberg, who was the fifth K-State pitcher used in the game, to extend Tech’s lead to 6-3. The first five reached base in the inning off Eckberg.
Cameron Warren ended Eckberg’s day in the seventh inning when he hit a two-run bomb for an 8-3 lead. Eckberg lasted a team-high 2/13 inning and gave up four hits and four earned runs while issuing three walks.
K-State sent nine hitters to the plate in the top of the eighth, scoring three runs on four hits and left the bases full. Mount and TK McWhertor each registered RBI singles and Jake Biller drew a bases-loaded walk to cut the TTU lead to two, 8-6.
The four hits in the eighth were the first recorded by the Cats since the third inning and snapped Tech’s run of seven unanswered runs scored.
Jung’s two-out single in the eighth off Alex Belch added the Red Raiders’ final run.
Seven pitchers were utilized by the Wildcats, who combined to walk nine TTU hitters to go with four strikeouts. Conversely, Texas Tech’s four pitchers combined to strike out 14 K-State batters.
Mount had the only multi-hit performance for the Cats, as Brennan, Thompson, McWhertor and Trent McMaster each had one hit. Thompson’s double was the Wildcats’ lone extra-base hit.
Four Red Raiders drove in multiple runs.
The Wildcats head to Lincoln, Nebraska, to complete a home-and-home series with the Nebraska Cornhuskers Tuesday.
