From K-State Athletics
MANHATTAN, Kan. – For the first time since 2013, K-State baseball led off Big 12 play with a series victory, as true freshman Nick English delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th inning to clinch the series win over Cincinnati, 14-13, at Tointon Family Stadium Sunday afternoon.
“That was a heck of a team win, and a heck of a character win to close out a series,” head coach Pete Hughes said following the Cats walk-off win. “It shows a lot about what our program and our guys are all about. They don’t give up, they put their head down and it’s on to the next pitch or to the next at bat.”
K-State (9-6, 2-1 Big 12) came from behind three times in the win, including a game-tying home run by Kyan Lodice to send the game into extras. With the Bearcats (9-7, 1-2 Big 12) leading 13-11 going into the bottom of the 12th, Brendan Jones belted a two-run dinger into right center to tie the score.
Kaelen Culpepper walked and advanced to third on wild pitch and grounder to the mound before scoring on English’s game-winning hit to right field.
“We had a lot of contributors. Really proud of Mason Buss and Kyan Lodice who haven’t had the great seasons they thought they were going to have but stayed in the right team frame of mind to deliver for a team win today. So really proud happy for those guys. Like I said a lot of major contributors today and nice to win a series,” said Hughes.
Eight Wildcats contributed hits in the victory, including five multi-hit efforts from in the top of the Cats’ lineup. The first five spots in order combined to hit .467 (14-for-30) with 10 RBI and 11 runs.
Right-hander Andrew Evans (2-1) picked up his second victory of the season, throwing the game’s final inning and struck out three while allowing two earned runs on a two-run homer in the 12th. Mason Buss tossed four scoreless innings in his fourth outing of the season and scattered just two hits with three strikeouts to keep the Wildcats alive.
The Wildcats last won an Big 12 opening series in 2013, defeating West Virginia 2-1 at home.
THE RUNDOWN
Cincinnati sent nine to the plate in the opening frame, scoring four runs on five hits.
K-State answered with four runs of its own in the home half, led by Day’s two-run homer.
After back-and-forth action, UC took a 11-7 lead to head into eighth inning.
Raphael Pelletier and Danniel Rivera each singled to force the Bearcats to refer to the bullpen for the third time of the game. A hit to the infield by Chuck Ingram loaded the bases until a sacrifice fly from Jones led off the Cats three-run rally.
Trailing 11-10, Lodice led off with his first homer of the season to even the score but the Bearcats retired three straight to send the game into extras.
The score remained tied 11-11 until the top of the 12th when Cincinnati manufactured a two-run lead with a home run by shortstop Kamryn Guidry.
With one out and tied 13-13, English lined a single down the right field line to score Culpepper from third for the game-winning run.
