Four-Run Seventh Dooms Wildcats Friday in Lawrence
May 21, 2004 | Baseball
Lawrence - Kansas State took a 3-1 lead into the seventh inning, but a four-run seventh lifted homestanding Kansas to a 5-3 win in game one of a Big 12 Conference series at Hoglund Ballpark. With the loss, Kansas State fell to 26-28 overall and 4-21 in Big 12 play, while Kansas improved to 29-31-1 and 5-19.
The Wildcats, who left 11 men on base on the night, had a runner reach base in every inning and a runner on second base in every inning but the ninth.
Carlos Torres (6-7) took the loss on the mound for the Wildcats after giving up four runs in 6.1 innings. The senior struck out six and gave up nine hits in the losing effort. With his 6.1 innings Friday, Torres moved into second place for innings pitched in a single season with 113.2. Tom Smith, back in 1985, set the record with 114.0 innings.
The Wildcats jumped out to the early 1-0 lead as two walks and a Jayhawk error loaded the bases with one out. Then, Steve Murphy lined out to left, scoring Terry Blunt from third to give K-State the 1-0 advantage. Kansas State threatened in both the third and fourth innings by getting runners to third base with less than two outs, but the Cats came away both times with no runs.
Kansas tied the game at one in the bottom of the fourth when Andy Scholl lifted a solo homer to center. The Jayhwaks threatened to take the lead in the fifth as Ryan Baty blooped a two-out double to right. Travis Metcalfe then followed with a single to left, but Terry Blunt gunned down Baty at the plate trying to score from second to end the inning.
The Wildcats broke the tie in the sixth as Josh Heinrich reached on fielding error by Metcalfe to start the inning. After moving to second on a balk, Heinrich scored as Chris Carlson doubled off the wall in right to give K-State a 2-1 lead. After Eli Rumler drew a walk, Blunt singled up the middle to score Carlson and chase starter Zagurski from the game with the score at 3-1.
Torres ran into trouble in the seventh as a single, a hit batter and walk chased the senior from the game. Eric Rollins entered the game and gave up a double to Sean Richardson, which scored two to tie the game. Andy Scholl then singled to center to score two more runs to give the Jayhawks a 5-3 advantage. B.J. Kissel then relieved Rollins and struck out consecutive batters to end the inning.
Kansas State was out-hit, 14-6, on the night and Chris Carlson was the only Wildcat to have a multi-hit game with a 2-for-3 performance.
Kansas State and Kansas resume play Saturday as the series shifts to Manhattan and Tointon Stadium. First pitch on Saturday is set for 7 p.m.
