From K-State Athletics
Oklahoma State scored seven unanswered runs to complete a three-game series sweep of K-State, 8-4, in the Big 12-opening series for both teams Sunday afternoon at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.
The Wildcats (11-13, 0-3 Big 12) did all their damage in the first two innings, opening a 4-1 lead through an inning and a half. OSU (15-7, 3-0 Big 12) scored two in the second before a four-run fourth handed the Cowboys their first lead.
Oklahoma State reliever Jake Lyons, who entered the game in the fifth, retired the first 14 batters he faced in keeping K-State off the board. Lyons struck out four over five innings and only allowed a two-out single by Will Brennan in the ninth inning.
Jake Taylor hit a pair of solo home runs in the game for the Cowboys while Colin Simpson added a two-run shot as part of OSU’s four-run fourth inning. Andrew Navigato also delivered a two-run single in the fourth for OSU.
For the Wildcats, Brennan had two hits to go with a pair of hits from Thomas Hughes and Dylan Phillips. K-State has dropped eight straight to the Cowboys and begin league play 0-3 for the fifth straight season.
Brennan, who got the start on the mound, suffered the loss after allowing seven runs (six earned) on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings. The junior lefty equaled his career highs in runs allowed and earned runs given up.
K-State struck early, as it brought in two in the top of the first. Brennan helped his cause with an RBI double. Jeffrey Boggess scored from first after drawing a one-out walk. Chris Ceballos brought home Brennan with a two-out RBI single.
Ceballos leads the Wildcats with 21 runs driven in.
An unearned run in the first for the Cowboys, cut K-State’s lead in half. Carson McCusker hit a two-out single to score Navigato. Navigato reached earlier in the inning on an error.
The Cats roped four straight base hits off OSU starter Brett Standlee, adding two runs to their lead in the second. Rainer Ausmus picked up his third double of the series, as Hughes and Boggess each recorded RBI singles in the inning.
Standlee was chased after three innings and yielding four earned runs on eight hits.
Taylor led off the bottom half of the second with a home run, his first of the year, to cut K-State’s lead to 4-2.
Following K-State leaving the bases full in the top of the fourth, Oklahoma State broke through with four in the home half. Navigato produced a two-run single before Colin Simpson lifted a two-run shot to right off Brennan.
Kasey Ford entered the game in the sixth and retired the first five he faced before Taylor tallied his second home run of the game, a solo shot with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to extend the OSU lead.
Ford finished with 1 2/3 innings of relief with two strikeouts and no walks issued.
Navigato, Simpson and Taylor each drove in two for Oklahoma State. K-State and OSU each tallied 10 hits in the game.
