Baseball Tops Lamar in 10 Innings, 8-7

BEAUMONT, Texas – Brett Scott’s sacrifice fly in the top of the 10^th inning scored Byron Wiley from third and Daniel Edwards closed out the game in the bottom half as the Wildcats topped Lamar, 8-7, Saturday at Vincent Beck Stadium.

With the win, Kansas State improved to 9-1 on the season and won its sixth straight game, while Lamar dropped to 9-4 and lost for the first time in eight games.

After Lamar rallied from a 7-1 deficit to tie the game at seven, K-State answered in the top half of the extra frame as Wiley led off with a single to right. Tyler Link then collected his third bunt base hit of the game, a push bunt to the right side, to move Wiley to second. After Justin Bloxom advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt and Eli Rumler was intentionally walked, Scott followed with a sacrifice fly to center to give K-State the lead at 8-7.

In the bottom half of the 10^th, Edwards (1-0) struck out two and retired the final batter on a 3-2 pitch with runners on first and second. Edwards struck out six batters in 2.2 innings of relief to notch the win.

Lamar’s Tim Erickson (1-1) suffered the loss after surrendering the final run in the 10^th inning. K-State starter Ben Hornbeck was solid for 5.0 innings in the no decision as the sophomore struck out four and walked none in his third start of the season.

Link led the offense with a career-high four hits, while Wiley continues to swing a hot bat after going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI.

With the Wildcats up 7-5 in the seventh, Lamar came up with two clutch hits with two outs in both the seventh and eighth innings to tie the game and send it to the extra frame. Both runs that scored came after stolen bases with two outs that moved the runners into scoring position.

Both pitchers settled in nicely to start the game until the Wildcats broke through for four runs in the top of the fourth. Eddie Vasquez led off the frame with a hit batsman before Adam Muenster drew a walk. Byron Wiley then laced a single up the middle to score Vasquez and Tyler Link followed with a bunt single to load the bases. Justin Bloxom then delivered a double to straight away center to plate two more runs and Link later scored on a wild pitch to give K-State a 4-0 lead.

Lamar cut into the lead with one run in the bottom half of the fourth but the Wildcats answered back with two runs in the top of the fifth to take a 6-1 lead. Vasquez singled up the middle with one out and after a Muenster strikeout, Wiley doubled to left center to score Vasquez. Link then drove a single to right center to plate Wiley to give the Cats the 6-1 advantage.

After a Daniel Dellasega single upped the margin to 7-1, Lamar answered with a four-run sixth as three hits, a balk and a sacrifice fly closed the margin to within two at 7-5.

Kansas State wraps up play in Beaumont Sunday with an 11 a.m. matchup with Cal-Santa Barbara.