K-State Erupts for 20 Hits to Clinch Series Saturday
From K-State Athletics
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Junior left-hander Jacob Frost pitched 5 2/3 innings and the K-State offense produced 20 hits Saturday, as the Wildcats raced away with a 17-3 victory over UMass Lowell to clinch the weekend series at Tointon Family Stadium.
K-State (6-3) exploded in the third with six runs led by a go-ahead three-run single from catcher Cayden Phillips after spotting the River Hawks (3-6) a 1-0 lead. The Wildcats scored 11 runs over the final three innings, that included home runs by Brendan Jones, Raphael Pelletier, and a grand slam by true freshman Nick English. K-State has launched 18 home runs over its last seven games.
“Two days in a row of solid baseball, and it all begins with a good start,” K-State head coach Pete Hughes said. “Today, our starting pitching was solid and Blake [Dean] was awesome.”
Frost (1-0) earned his first victory with K-State, as he limited the River Hawks to two runs (one earned) on seven hits with five strikeouts over a season-high 5 2/3 innings of work.
Dean scattered three hits over 2 1/3 innings in relief, allowing one earned run with a strikeout.
“We got a little sloppy at the end, but there are many contributors up and down our lineup, which speaks to the depth of our team,” said Hughes.
Six Wildcats recorded multiple hits, with five driving in multiple runs. Chuck Ingram had a productive day in the lead-off spot, going 4-for-5 and scoring three runs while English, who was 2-for-4, drove in a game-high five RBI.
THE RUNDOWN
UML put together back-to-back doubles to jump on the board first in the third.
K-State immediately responded with six runs to take control of the game. With two outs, and runners on first and second, Brady Day doubled just out of reach of the River Hawks’ defense to get the 2-1 lead.
A bases loaded situation brought Phillips to the plate, where the Amarillo, Texas product lined a two-out, bases-clearing single.
The Wildcats added three runs in the sixth as Jones launched a two-run dinger into dead center, and English slapped an RBI single into left.
UML reduced the deficit to 9-3 in the seventh before K-State erupted with eight runs over the final two innings, including English’s grand slam and first collegiate home run.
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