Baseball Rallies for 11-9 Win Over No. 9 Texas

AUSTIN, Texas – Catcher Rob Vaughn collected a career-high four hits, including a grand slam, and Kansas State pounded out 17 hits as the Wildcats rallied for an 11-9 win over ninth-ranked Texas Sunday at Disch-Falk Field to salvage the final game of the three-game series. With the win, Kansas State improved to 18-6 overall and 1-2 in Big 12 play, while Texas moved to 22-8 overall and 5-1 in Big 12 play.

Down, 9-8 in the eighth, K-State rallied for three runs as pinch hitter Tyler Ruch drew a walk and moved to second on a Tyler Link sacrifice bunt. Then, Eddie Vasquez reached on an infield single and Ruch came around to score the tying run when second baseman Travis Tucker’s throw went wild of first.

After Vaughn’s fourth hit of the game, a single to left, Bunker struck out but the play developed into the go-ahead run. As Bunker struck out on a ball in the dirt, Vasquez got caught in between second and third but Texas’ Preston Clark’s throw to second went into centerfield, allowing Vasquez to score the 10^th run of the game. Biery then drove in Vaughn with a single to left, giving the Cats an 11-9 lead.

Daniel Edwards came in and worked the final two innings, giving up just one hit while striking out three, including a perfect ninth inning as the junior earned his Big 12-leading seventh save of the season. K-State’s late offense output made a winner of Justin Murray (2-2) as the sophomore went 3.0 innings, giving up two runs on three hits with one strikeout.

The three runs in the eighth came off Texas closer Randy Boone (0-5) as the senior surrendered five runs on five hits over 1.1 innings of work.

Texas took a 1-0 lead in the first as two hits and a Bradley Suttle sacrifice fly scored the game’s first run and the Longhorns added another run in the second on a two-out single from Nick Peoples.

The Cats answered with one run in the third as Vasquez walked and moved to third on a Vaughn double off the wall in left. Bunker drove in Vasquez on a grounder to first, which Chance Wheeless misplayed, allowing Bunker to reach base. But, Jordan Cruz hit into an inning-ending double play to keep the score at 2-1. Texas got the run back in the bottom half of the third as Suttle’s two-out solo homer down the line in left upped the lead back to two at 3-1.

K-State then broke through offensively for five runs in the fifth inning to take a 6-3 lead. Adam Muenster, J.J. Muse and Vasquez all opened the inning with singles and Vaughn followed with a grand slam down the line in left for his first career homer. Biery added a solo homer, his first of the season, as the Cats chased starter Joseph Krebs in the inning. But, Texas came back with six runs in the bottom half of the fifth as two hit batters, two walks and a bases-loaded triple from Preston Clark led the Horns in the frame.

Biery’s sacrifice fly and Bloxom’s two-out single plated two more runs for the Wildcats as they got back to within one run at 9-8.

K-State starter Ben Hornbeck went four-plus innings Sunday and surrendered seven runs on eight hits with two walks and no strikeouts.

Vaughn paced the 17-hit attack for K-State with four hits and four RBI, while Bloxom had three hits, and Biery, Muse and Vasquez each had two hits.

Kansas State returns home this week as it begins a nine-game homestand, starting with in-state rival and 18^th-ranked Wichita State. First pitch on Tuesday night is set for 7 p.m. at Tointon Stadium.

– k-statesports.com –