K-State Shutout as Baylor Takes Series

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Baylor’s Shawn Tolleson threw a compete-game shutout and the Bear offense scored three times in the third inning as No. 30 Baylor topped Kansas State, 3-0, Sunday afternoon at Tointon Family Stadium. With the victory, Baylor improved to 22-13 overall and 8-7 in Big 12 play, while K-State fell to 16-18 overall and 3-9 in the league.

Tolleson (4-1) allowed just four hits and struck out a season-high 12 batters in 110 pitches. It was the redshirt freshman’s second complete-game shutout in Big 12 play this season, as he blanked Oklahoma State and allowed two Cowboy hits back on March 15 in Waco, Texas. Sunday afternoon also marked the fourth time in the last five starts he has thrown over 100 pitches.

Kansas State, who left six on base, did not advance a runner past second base and only two Wildcats moved into scoring position all afternoon. Carter Jurica, Jason King and Drew Biery each went 1-for-4, while Tyler Ruch, who entered as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning, was 1-for-1 with a bunt single in the ninth.

K-State’s Lance Hoge (1-3) took the loss after giving up three runs – two of which were earned – on five hits in 2.2 innings.

Baylor’s runs all came in the third inning. Raynor Campbell hit a one-out single up the middle and then stole second base during Dustin Dickerson’s at bat, which resulted in a walk.

Adam Hornung followed with a RBI single to centerfield, which scored Campbell from second. However, an errant throw by Dane Yelovich got away from catcher Rob Vaughn, which allowed Dickerson to go to third and Hornung to advance to second. Hoge, who was backing up the plate on the play, attempted to throw out Dickerson at third, but threw the ball into leftfield, allowing Dickerson to score and moving Hornung to third. Aaron Miller followed with a single through the right side to plate Hornung as the third Baylor run of the inning, which was all the Bears needed.

The Wildcats had a chance to make a comeback in the bottom half of the third inning as Brett Scott led off the frame with a hit-by-pitch. Following a pop out, a fielder’s choice and another hit-by-pitch, Kansas State had runners on first and second with two outs, but a strikeout ended the only threat of the game.

K-State’s bullpen was effective as freshman reliever Justin Lindsey came in to stop the Baylor’s third-inning outburst, striking out Paul Miles for the final out. The right hander remained in the game for the next two innings, spraying just four hits. Lindsey was followed out of the pen by Ben Hornbeck, who threw 2.2 innings of one-hit ball and struck out a season-high five batters. Trevor Hurley finished out the game for the Cats with 1.1 scoreless innings.

The shutout by Baylor was the first time in just over a year K-State was held without a run. The last time Kansas State was shutout was on April 4, 2007, against Missouri.

K-State sophomore Adam Muenster went 0-for-3 on the afternoon, ending an 18-game hitting streak. The streak is tied for the fourth-longest in Kansas State history.