Kansas State University Athletics
Friday, March 2
Manhattan, Kan.
3 p.m.
Kansas State University
5-4
9
vs
3
La Salle
4-5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
La Salle
0
0
0
0
0
2
1
0
0
3
11
3
Kansas State
1
0
2
0
1
0
2
3
X
9
13
2
Biller, Mount Muscle Cats to 9-3 Win Friday
Mar 02, 2018 | Baseball
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Senior Jake Biller and junior Drew Mount both homered and starting pitcher Kasey Ford turned in his second consecutive quality start to push K-State to a 9-3 victory over La Salle in its home opener at Tointon Family Stadium Friday.
K-State (5-4) used a two-run seventh and a three-run eighth inning to distance itself from La Salle (4-5), after the Explorers cut the Wildcats' lead to a single run at 4-3 as the game reached the seventh-inning stretch. Biller's two-run homer in the eighth paired with Mount's second RBI triple of the game sealed the Cats' sixth straight victory in a home opener.
"We needed those five runs, that was big," said head coach Brad Hill after the game. "They were pressing us, their two-hole hitter had a great at-bat against Kasey, maybe 10 pitches. Gave them some momentum and got the game close, but those five runs were critical there at the end."
Ford (2-0) kept La Salle scoreless through the game's first five innings, striking out five while scattering seven hits – none for extra bases – in collecting his second victory. The sophomore righty finished the game allowing three earned runs in 6 2/3 innings.
"Today was a good day," Ford said. "I felt like all my pitches were working for me, but it's really easy to pitch when you have the run support that I had today. Kudos to all the hitters. Once I get out there and get into a groove, I feel like I can locate the ball wherever I want. It's what I'm coached to do and try to do every outing."
"It was a solid outing for him," Hill, who earned his 450th win while at K-State, said of Ford. "I thought he was really good, he attacked the zone and was down in the zone."
Mount, a junior-college transfer, tripled in the third inning and belted his fourth home run in the fifth inning to spot K-State a 4-0 lead through five. The Santa Clara, California, native finished the game 3-for-3 with three runs batted in, three runs scored and three stolen bases.
"I felt pretty good today, I was just trying to hit the ball hard and get a win," said Mount. "I feel really confident, just trying to slow things down and take deep breaths and get back to where I've always been."
Biller, who homered for the second straight game, drove in two and scored twice. Shortstop Cameron Thompson tripled twice, scored twice and picked up an RBI and leadoff hitter Will Brennan went 2-for-5 in extending his on-base streak to 32 games.
The top four hitters in the Wildcats' lineup combined to hit .529 (9-for-17) with two home runs, four triples and six runs batted in.
Catcher TK McWhertor went 2-for-4, as five Wildcats registered multiple hits in the game and the lineup totaled 13 base hits – six for extra bases.
K-State plated the game's first run in the home first after Brennan led off the inning with a single and then stole two bases before coming home on Thompson's sacrifice fly. Brennan, a sophomore, has hit safely in all nine games to begin the season.
The Cats tacked on a pair more in the third, highlighted by Mount's first RBI triple, and Mount's solo shot in the fifth opened a 4-0 lead.
The Explorers received an RBI single from designated hitter Chase Arnold in the sixth and another one from first baseman Ben Faso in the seventh that cut the Cats' lead to one run. Faso was 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored to lead La Salle.
La Salle starting pitcher Matt Holt lasted 6 1/3 innings and surrendered six runs (four earned) on nine hits while striking out three.
K-State relievers Tyler Eckberg and Quinton Potter combined to shut out the Explorers over the final 2 1/3 innings. Potter struck out the side in the ninth inning while neither reliever yielded a walk.
K-State continues its home-opening series against La Salle on Saturday, with first pitch set for 4 p.m. at Tointon Family Stadium. The entire three-game series with the Explorers will be streamed free at K-StateHD.TV and will be live on KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM).
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
K-State (5-4) used a two-run seventh and a three-run eighth inning to distance itself from La Salle (4-5), after the Explorers cut the Wildcats' lead to a single run at 4-3 as the game reached the seventh-inning stretch. Biller's two-run homer in the eighth paired with Mount's second RBI triple of the game sealed the Cats' sixth straight victory in a home opener.
"We needed those five runs, that was big," said head coach Brad Hill after the game. "They were pressing us, their two-hole hitter had a great at-bat against Kasey, maybe 10 pitches. Gave them some momentum and got the game close, but those five runs were critical there at the end."
Ford (2-0) kept La Salle scoreless through the game's first five innings, striking out five while scattering seven hits – none for extra bases – in collecting his second victory. The sophomore righty finished the game allowing three earned runs in 6 2/3 innings.
"Today was a good day," Ford said. "I felt like all my pitches were working for me, but it's really easy to pitch when you have the run support that I had today. Kudos to all the hitters. Once I get out there and get into a groove, I feel like I can locate the ball wherever I want. It's what I'm coached to do and try to do every outing."
"It was a solid outing for him," Hill, who earned his 450th win while at K-State, said of Ford. "I thought he was really good, he attacked the zone and was down in the zone."
Mount, a junior-college transfer, tripled in the third inning and belted his fourth home run in the fifth inning to spot K-State a 4-0 lead through five. The Santa Clara, California, native finished the game 3-for-3 with three runs batted in, three runs scored and three stolen bases.
"I felt pretty good today, I was just trying to hit the ball hard and get a win," said Mount. "I feel really confident, just trying to slow things down and take deep breaths and get back to where I've always been."
Biller, who homered for the second straight game, drove in two and scored twice. Shortstop Cameron Thompson tripled twice, scored twice and picked up an RBI and leadoff hitter Will Brennan went 2-for-5 in extending his on-base streak to 32 games.
The top four hitters in the Wildcats' lineup combined to hit .529 (9-for-17) with two home runs, four triples and six runs batted in.
Catcher TK McWhertor went 2-for-4, as five Wildcats registered multiple hits in the game and the lineup totaled 13 base hits – six for extra bases.
K-State plated the game's first run in the home first after Brennan led off the inning with a single and then stole two bases before coming home on Thompson's sacrifice fly. Brennan, a sophomore, has hit safely in all nine games to begin the season.
The Cats tacked on a pair more in the third, highlighted by Mount's first RBI triple, and Mount's solo shot in the fifth opened a 4-0 lead.
The Explorers received an RBI single from designated hitter Chase Arnold in the sixth and another one from first baseman Ben Faso in the seventh that cut the Cats' lead to one run. Faso was 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored to lead La Salle.
La Salle starting pitcher Matt Holt lasted 6 1/3 innings and surrendered six runs (four earned) on nine hits while striking out three.
K-State relievers Tyler Eckberg and Quinton Potter combined to shut out the Explorers over the final 2 1/3 innings. Potter struck out the side in the ninth inning while neither reliever yielded a walk.
K-State continues its home-opening series against La Salle on Saturday, with first pitch set for 4 p.m. at Tointon Family Stadium. The entire three-game series with the Explorers will be streamed free at K-StateHD.TV and will be live on KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM).
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- K-State scored nine runs on 13 hits and committed two errors and left eight runners on base. La Salle scored three runs on 11 hits with three errors and stranded 10 baserunners.
- Brennan extended his career-best on-base streak to 32 games, dating back to last season, and has hit safely in all nine games this season.
- Three K-State pitchers combined to strike out eight batters against only one walk and did not allow an extra-base hit.
- The top four hitters in the Wildcats' lineup combined to hit .529 (9-for-17) with two home runs, four triples and six runs batted in.
- K-State hit .444 (8-for-18) with two outs and had five two-out RBI.
- Five Wildcats – Biller, Brennan, McWhertor, Mount, Thompson – had multi-hit games.
- Biller homered for the second straight game and Mount has four homers in his last six games.
- The Cats were 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts and are now 20-for-20 as a team on the season.
- The matchup marked the first meeting between K-State and La Salle.
- Head coach Brad Hill collected his 450th career victory while at K-State.
- K-State has now won its home opener for the sixth straight season.
- It was the first time that a player had two triples since 2013 (Ross Kivett). Mount and Thompson both had two triples in the game.
- The Wildcats have recorded double-digit hits in six of nine games this season.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ford, Kasey (2-0)
L: HOLT, Matt (0-2)
Batting:
RBI: FASO, Ben 1 ; ARNOLD, Chase 1 ; DUDECK, Brian 1
SF: DUDECK, Brian 1
Base Running:
RUNS: MCGOWAN, Kevin 1 ; FASO, Ben 1 ; CUCINOTTA, Jack 1
Batting:
3B: Thompson, Cameron 2 ; Mount, Drew 2
HR: Biller, Jake 1 ; Mount, Drew 1
RBI: Biller, Jake 2 ; Thompson, Cameron 1 ; Mount, Drew 3 ; Ausmus, Rainer 1
SF: Thompson, Cameron 1 ; Ausmus, Rainer 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brennan, Will 2 ; Biller, Jake 2 ; Thompson, Cameron 2 ; Mount, Drew 3
SB: Brennan, Will 2 ; Mount, Drew 3
HBP: Mount, Drew 2
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
3
H
3
RBI
3
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballOF
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