Ford Pitches Wildcats to Series Win at San Francisco

Friday, May 18

San Francisco, Calif.

5 p.m.

Kansas State University

23-30

San Francisco

27-28

Kansas State

San Francisco

May 18, 2018 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (.pdf)

SAN FRANCISCO – K-State starting pitcher Kasey Ford held San Francisco to one run over six innings while his offense scored five unanswered runs over the final four innings in a 5-1 victory, giving the Wildcats a series win Friday at Benedetti Diamond.

Ford scattered three hits over his six innings of work while he struck out three, giving the Cats (23-30) their fifth straight win. The 6-foot-6 sophomore had a stretch where he retired 10 of 11 he faced, including eight straight USF (27-28) hitters. It marked Ford's fifth quality start of the season.

Brennan relieved Ford and tossed the final three innings to pick up his first career save. Brennan, a lefty sophomore, struck out three and allowed just two hits.

Drew Mount went 3-for-4 while Hanz Harker had two hits, as the Wildcats doubled the Dons' hit total, 10-5.

Trent McMaster recorded the only extra-base hit for K-State, a two-out, two-run double in the eighth inning.

K-State trailed 1-0 through five innings but used finally got to USF starter Riley Ornido with a three-run sixth to take its first lead.

Ornido yielded just one hit and faced the minimum through the first five innings, aided by three double-play balls, before K-State tagged him for three runs on four hits in the sixth. The Dons' sophomore, who had an ERA of 2.51 entering the game, dropped to 8-4.

Ford faced the minimum through two innings but the first two San Francisco hitters he faced in the third each singled. A squeeze bunt from Thomas McCarthy brought home RJ Cordeiro to break the scoreless tie. After back-to-back walks, USF had the bases loaded but Ford induced an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play to escape further damage.

John Sorensen sparked the Cats' three-run sixth with a leadoff single. TK McWhertor followed Sorensen by drawing a walk and, after a sacrifice bunt, the Wildcats had two in scoring position. Brennan and Cameron Thompson delivered RBI singles sandwiched around a wild pitch that allowed McWhertor to scamper home.

McMaster's double extended K-State's lead to four runs, 5-1. His two-out, two-run double followed singles by Harker and Mount in the inning.

The first four hitters in the K-State lineup accounted for seven of its 10 base hits, as the Cats hit .500 (3-for-6) with runners in scoring position.

Ford and Brennan held USF hitless with two outs and with runners in scoring position.

The Dons were led by Riley Helland, who went 2-for-4 with a double.

The Wildcats conclude their season-ending series at Benedetti Diamond Saturday at 3 p.m. CT. The entire series is streamed live on WCCSports.com and can be heard live on KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 A) with free audio streaming on k-statesports.com.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

K-State scored five runs on 10 hits without an error and left six runners on base. San Francisco scored one run on five hits with two errors and stranded six baserunners.
Ford produced his fifth quality start of the season, allowing one run in six innings with three strikeouts.
Mount had a team-high three hits, going 3-for-4, while Harker was 2-for-4.
Brennan and Thompson each had RBI singles and McMaster delivered a two-run double.
Ornido faced the minimum through five innings, allowing one hit and a walk while receiving three double plays.
K-State turned two double plays behind Ford.
K-State hit .385 (5-for-13) with two outs with three two-out RBI and were 3-for-6 (.500) with runners in scoring position.
The Cats held USF hitless with two outs and with runners in scoring position. The Dons had just one hit (1-for-14) with runners on base.

NOTES

K-State now leads the all-time series, 2-1.
K-State's five-game winning streak is its first since the beginning of March and equals its longest of the season
The win marked K-State's sixth victory when scoring five or fewer runs (7-12).