Early Deficit Proves Too Much in Loss at West Virginia
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (K-State) – An eight-run deficit proved to be too much for K-State to overcome, as West Virginia claimed a 12-5 victory Sunday afternoon and picked up the series win at Wagener Field at Kendrick Family Ballpark.
K-State (29-21, 13-14 Big 12) posted a four-run sixth that trimmed its deficit to four runs after the Wildcats earlier trailed 9-1, but WVU (31-19, 17-10 Big 12) scored three late runs to put the game away.
“Overall, speaking for our guys, we are disappointed,” said head K-State baseball coach Pete Hughes. “Our approach was score early to neutralize an emotionally filled atmosphere. We were unable to create offense first and they did.”
“I was proud of our fight mid-game, but we needed to string together a couple of big innings. They continued to take advantage of opportunities via the homerun and proved to be too much,” Hughes said.
The Mountaineers pounded out 15 hits and scored eight runs with two outs, led by three-hit days from Logan Suave and Sam White, while the 2023 Big 12 Player of the Year JJ Wetherholt drove in a game-high four runs.
The Wildcats were led offensively by Chuck Ingram, who went 2-for-3, that included a lead-off double in the eighth. Brady Day turned in his 16th multi-RBI game of the season after driving in three runs for the Wildcats, including a two-run triple – his second of the year.
Right-hander Josh Wintroub took the loss, surrendering three runs (two earned) on five hits in his 1 2/3 inning start (2-4).
THE RUNDOWN
WVU took advantage of a fielding error in the outfield to plate the opening run in the first frame, before stretching the lead out to three with a pair of extra-base hits including a two-out solo shot to left center.
Brendan Jones, who dropped a bunt single to break up the no-hit bid, put the Cats on the board as the junior beat out the throw on the attempted play at home with grounder to left-handed starter Tyler Switalski in the fourth.
The Mountaineers immediately responded in the bottom of the inning, as Wetherholt belted his 27th career homer into right field to make it a 6-1 run ballgame.
Down 9-1 heading into the sixth, K-State rallied for four runs led by an issued walk to Jones. The Greenbrier, Tenn., product moved to second with a fielding error at short for Culpepper to safely reach first.
With runners on first and second, Day flared bases-clearing triple into right center until the Cats’ second baseman scored in the next at bat with a single by designated hitter Danniel Rivera, who made his way around to third on a sacrifice bunt from Jaden Parsons.
K-State turned it into a four-run game, as Cayden Phillips laid down the squeeze bunt to score Rivera, but the rally came to an end as the Mountaineers plated three runs in a two-inning span to fend off the Cats.
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