Kansas State University
University of California, Riverside
Mar 12, 2017 | Baseball
GAME RECAP
11
2
NR
UC RIVERSIDE
HIGHLANDERS
10-5 (0-0 Big West)
NR
K-STATE
WILDCATS
12-4 (0-0 Big 12)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCR | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 2 |
| KSU | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
- Time of Game: 2:45
- First Pitch: 1:01
- Temperature: 36 F
- Wind: S 12 mph
- Attendance: 1,390
- ? GAMECENTER
- ? HIGHLIGHTS
- ? BOX SCORE
MANHATTAN, Kan. – UC Riverside's seven-run ninth inning broke open a close game Sunday as the Kansas State baseball team dropped its rubber match with the Highlanders, 11-2, at Tointon Family Stadium.
K-State (12-4) posted a season-low two base hits, including a leadoff triple in the first inning by freshman Cameron Thompson who later scored on a Jake Wodtke RBI groundout.
Following Thompson's triple, UC Riverside (10-5) starting pitcher Alex Fagalde retired the next 16 Wildcat batters he faced as he allowed just two hits and one earned run over seven innings while striking out a half dozen.
"They pitched us tough all weekend," head coach Brad Hill said after the game. "They pitched great, we didn't make very good adjustments offensively. We weren't very good offensively but they pitched really good, too; but that's going to be Big 12 pitching. We are going to have to get better."
K-State starter Parker Rigler put up his second straight quality start (6.2 IP, 1 ER) on the heels of his historic no-hitter last Sunday. The senior lefty struck out three and surrendered two unearned runs on five hits, however, suffered his first loss of the season (2-1).
"I thought Parker (Rigler) pitched great," said Hill. "We just didn't keep it very clean defensively in a couple spots and it just got away from us in the ninth."
After K-State's early 1-0 lead, UC Riverside scored four unanswered after single runs in the third, sixth, seventh and eighth innings.
Hanz Harker and Josh Rolette reached base to start the eighth inning via two straight UC Riverside errors. Harker then scored courtesy of a balk by UCR reliever Jared Morton and Rolette stood on third with nobody out. The threat ended after the next three K-State batters were set down in order.
"We were going to have to play perfect today," added Hill. "We created a couple runs for them early and let them get the lead."
UC Riverside extended its lead after seven runs in the top half of the ninth inning off three hits and one K-State error.
Senior second baseman Josh Ethier's sixth-inning single accounted for the second K-State base hit. Wodtke had the Cats' lone RBI on the afternoon.
K-State will welcome a pair of teams from Omaha, Nebraska, this week to Tointon Family Stadium. The Wildcats will face Creighton on Tuesday (4 p.m.) and Omaha on Wednesday (6:30 p.m.). The mid-week games will be broadcast worldwide on K-StateHD.TV with Brian Smoller, Matt Walters and John Kurtz calling the action. Fans can also listen to K-State baseball on KMAN 1350 AM, 93.3 FM and streaming free at k-statesports.com.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• K-State scored two runs on two hits and committed two errors and left three runners on base. UC Riverside scored 11 runs on 11 hits and committed two errors while stranding eight baserunners.
• UC Riverside's starter Alex Fagalde retired 16 straight hitters from the first to the sixth inning.
• Thompson's leadoff triple was the Cats' only extra-base hit in the game.
• UC Riverside was 5-for-17 (.294) with runners in scoring position while K-State was 0-for-4.
• K-State got its leadoff hitter on base in two of nine innings and UCR got its leadoff man on in three innings.
• UCR was 2-for-3 with the bases loaded.
• K-State went 0-for-8 with runners on base.
NOTES
• UC Riverside now leads the all-time series, 4-2
• Senior third baseman Quintin Crandall's on-base streak was snapped at 23 games, a career high.
• K-State is now 8-2 when scoring first and 6-2 when scoring in the first inning.
• The Wildcats are 4-4 this season when not hitting a home run and 8-0 when hitting at least one home run.
