Mavs Upend K-State Wednesday Night
Mar 16, 2017 | Baseball
GAME RECAP
5
2
NR
OMAHA
MAVERICKS
2-14 (0-0 Summit League)
RV
K-STATE
WILDCATS
12-5 (0-0 Big 12)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNO | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 2 |
| KSU | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 3 |
- Time of Game: 2:55
- First Pitch: 6:31
- Temperature: 48 F
- Wind: SSE 13 mph
- Attendance: 1,373
- ? GAMECENTER
- ? HIGHLIGHTS
- ? BOX SCORE
MANHATTAN, Kan. – The Kansas State baseball team was unable to erase an early deficit as it dropped a mid-week clash with Omaha Wednesday night, 5-2, at Tointon Family Stadium.
For the first time this season, K-State (12-5) has lost consecutive games and lost three of four overall.
“Not real good focus tonight,” said head coach Brad Hill. “Not doing the things we need to be doing, obviously. Got off to a rough start - three errors and a lot of walks ... I will take the blame for it; we have to be better than that.”
Omaha (2-14) was on the scoreboard first with a pair of runs before the Wildcats could record on out in the top of the first inning as the first four Maverick batters reached base.
K-State starting pitcher Colton Kalmus then retired the next six hitters he faced and cruised into the fourth inning before being lifted after Omaha added two more runs to double its lead. Kalmus matched his career high with eight strikeouts in three-plus innings but received his first loss of the season (0-1).
“You feel like two runs you should be able to battle yourself back into it,” Hill added. “Again, our bats weren’t very good. A lot of weak fly balls and just not a very good night. Our best at-bats came in the seventh and eighth innings, that’s just too late.”
In the bottom half of the fourth, the Wildcat offense found some traction when senior Jake Wodtke led off the inning with a single and then stole second and third. Sophomore Josh Rolette then roped an RBI double to left field to get the Cats on the scoreboard.
Following a walk by Quintin Crandall, the bases were full with one out. Hanz Harker reached on an RBI fielder’s choice that scored Jake Scudder to cut the deficit to 4-2, but the Cats would end up stranding two in scoring position in their biggest threat of the night.
The Mavs added one run in the top of the fifth by way of a Parker Smejkal RBI double off Wildcat reliever Jared Marolf.
K-State stranded single runners in every inning from the fifth inning on, including two in scoring position.
Five relievers out of the Wildcat bullpen finished the final six innings of the game, allowing one hit and one run after Kalmus went three innings.
Rolette’s double was the only extra-base hit and Wodtke had two of K-State’s six hits in the game.
Iowa (9-6) visits Tointon for a three-game set beginning Friday, March 17 with first pitch slated for 6:30 p.m. The series between the Wildcats and Hawkeyes will be broadcast worldwide on K-StateHD.TV with Matt Walters (play-by-play) and Blair DeBord (analyst) calling the action. Fans can also listen to K-State baseball all season long on KMAN 1350 AM, 93.3 FM and streaming free at k-statesports.com.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• K-State scored two runs on six hits and committed three errors and left eight runners on base. Omaha scored five runs on six hits and committed two errors while stranding seven baserunners.
• Kalmus’ eight strikeouts equal his career high and is a season high for any K-State pitcher this year.
• Rolette collected the only extra-base hit on the night for the Wildcats with his RBI double in the fourth.
• Wodtke recorded the only multi-hit game for K-State (2-for-4).
• K-State has scored six runs in the last four games (1.5 per game) after scoring 76 runs in the previous five games (15.2 per game).
• K-State did not hit a home run for the fourth straight game (1-3).
• The Cats hit .063 (1-for-16) with runners on base and had just five at-bats with runners in scoring position (1-for-5).
• Each side managed to get its leadoff man on in four of the nine innings.
NOTES
• K-State now leads the all-time series, 9-2. This was Omaha’s first-ever victory in Manhattan (1-8).
• K-State is 1-4 this season when scoring two runs or fewer.
• The loss marks the first two-game losing streak for the Cats this season
• The Wildcats are 4-5 this season when they do not hit a home run and 8-0 when hitting at least one home run.
