Sophomore Will Brennan stuck out a career-high nine hitters over 6 1/3 innings and senior Kyle Barfield hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth, but the Oklahoma Sooners rallied with two runs in the bottom half of the eighth to win the series finale Sunday, 4-3, at L. Dale Mitchell Park.
Barfield’s solo homer in the top of the eighth put K-State (18-29, 3-18 Big 12) in front 3-2 before Oklahoma (31-18, 13-8 Big 21) plated two runs that were aided by two Wildcat errors in the home half.
OU completed a three-game sweep and handed the Wildcats their sixth straight defeat overall.
Brennan produced his first quality start in his fourth career start, as the lefty scattered four hits, a walk and one earned run in his career-long outing. The Stilwell, Kansas, product held the Sooners scoreless through the game’s first six innings in a no-decision.
Senior Hanz Harker matched his career-high with three hits, going 3-for-5, while sophomore Cameron Thompson was 2-for-5 with a run scored.
Barfield drove in two of the Cats’ three runs, adding a sacrifice fly in the sixth in to go with his second home run of the season. Freshman Jordan Maxson laced an RBI double in the sixth that put K-State in front for the first time in the series.
The Sooners scored all four of their runs in their final two at-bats, bringing across two runs in the seventh and eighth innings.
OU starter Nathan Wiles held the Wildcats scoreless through five frames until the Cats broke through with a pair in the sixth before Barfield’s homer in the eighth.
K-State broke the scoreless tie in the sixth and plated its first run of the series on Maxson’s RBI double to left-center field that brought home Thompson. Thompson and Drew Mount sparked the rally with back-to-back singles to begin the inning. Mount came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Barfield for a 2-0 lead.
Barfield led off the eighth inning with his go-ahead home run to put the Cats in front 3-2. It was the senior’s second home run of the season and first since February 25 at Old Dominion.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Sooners tied the game courtesy of a two-out, two-run double from Tyler Hardman. Hardman’s double came on the heels of a Brylie Ware single and Kyle Mendenhall being hit by a pitch.
OU outfielder Steele Walker scored on a bunt single from Brady Lindsly and a throwing error by K-State reliever Jaxson Passino. Kyler Murray later came home on a sacrifice fly lifted by Ware. Murray had earlier reached on an error in the inning.
Austin Hansen closed the door on the Cats in the ninth as he collected his second save in as many games.
Passino suffered the loss after allowing two runs on a hit and two walks in 1/3 of an inning.
K-State went 1-for-12 in the game with runners in scoring position and left 12 runners on base but outhit the Sooners, 10-6.
The Cats return home for their final home series of the year, the 2018 edition of the Sunflower Showdown with Kansas. The three-game series kicks off Friday, May 11 at 6:30 p.m. from Tointon Family Stadium.
