Kansas State University Athletics
Friday, May 3
Waco, Texas
6:30 p.m.
Kansas State University
22-25, 6-10
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Baylor
31-12, 13-5
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K-State
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Baylor
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No. 15 Baylor Claims Series Saturday
May 04, 2019 | Baseball
WACO, Texas – The 15th-ranked Baylor Bears claimed a one-run victory, 4-3, in the continuation of Friday's suspended game before taking the second game of the series, 11-6, to win the series against K-State Saturday at Baylor Ballpark.
Weather caused the series opener to be suspended in the bottom of the sixth inning with two Baylor runners on base and the score tied, 3-3. The Bears (32-12, 14-5 Big 12) greeted K-State (22-26, 6-11 Big 12) senior reliever Mitch Zubradt, who inherited the two runners, with a single before a bases-loaded walk plated the go-ahead run.
In the day's finale, Baylor jumped out to a five-run lead after the first inning and used a five-run fourth to open a 10-2 lead. The Wildcats cut into the deficit with a four-run sixth before an insurance run by BU put the final tally at 11-6.
GAME 1: BAYLOR 4, K-STATE 3
K-State took advantage of two Baylor errors in the top of the first inning. With runners on second and third, Terrence Spurlin lifted a three-run homer to spot the Wildcats a 3-0 lead after a half inning. Zach Kokoska doubled off BU starter Paul Dickens before Spurlin's fifth homer of the season.
In the home half of the inning, Andy Thomas' bloop single with two outs scored Richard Cunningham to get one of those three runs back. Cunningham earlier singled and the Wildcats held a 3-1 lead after an inning.
Dickens retired the next seven Wildcats he faced, allowing the Bears to claw back and tie the game in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run home run by leadoff hitter Nick Loftin. Cole Weaver led off the fifth with a single and scored on Loftin's sixth homer of the year.
After a 56-minute weather delay in the fifth inning on Friday, Loftin would be the final batter Wildcat starter Griffin Hassall would face, as lefty Eric Torres entered the game when it resumed in the bottom of the fifth.
Play had to be resumed Saturday as Zubradt inherited runners on first and second with one out. Josh Bissonette greeted Zubradt with a single before Weaver drew a bases-loaded walk to put the Bears in front by a run, 4-3, as the game went to the seventh.
K-State stranded four runners over the final three innings, including a pair in the eighth inning.
Baylor closer Kyle Hill earned a five-out save, allowing one baserunner via a walk while striking out four for his seventh save of the year.
Torres suffered the loss after allowing an earned run on two hits over an inning of work. Zubradt threw the final 2 2/3 innings with two hits against him.
Kokoska led the Cats with his 3-for-3 effort in the opener.
GAME 2: BAYLOR 11, K-STATE 6
The Bears jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the first inning, courtesy of five base hits off K-State starter Caleb Littlejim. In the inning, the Bears recorded four extra-base hits, including a two-run home run by Thomas. Loftin started the inning with a double while Cole Haring, Davion Downy and Josh Bissonette each doubled in the five-run frame.
K-State got two of those five runs back in the next half inning, as the first three Wildcats reached base. Spurlin's RBI single got the Cats on the board before Littlejim lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home Chris Ceballos.
Baylor extended its lead to eight runs with five in the fourth – all coming with two outs. After Littlejim retired the first two hitters in the inning, the next five batters reached base. Haring, Bissonette and Weaver each produced run-scoring singles in the inning that ended with the score 10-2.
Ten Wildcat hitters came to the plate in the top of the sixth as K-State cut its eight-run deficit in half with four in the inning. Thomas Hughes delivered an RBI single while Mason Crews produced a pinch-hit RBI double. Later, Littlejim drove in a pair with a two-out single as the Cats tallied five hits in the inning but left the bases loaded.
K-State threatened in the seventh, as its first two hitters reached before Baylor reliever Daniel Caruso struck out the next three Cats to keep the Bears' lead at four runs.
Baylor ended Game 2 with nine strikeouts, eight of which came over the finale three frames.
Hughes had the only multi-hit effort for the Cats in the finale, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored. Littlejim had a team-high three RBI.
Littlejim suffered the loss after he surrendered eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.
Jimmy Winston took the victory and allowed six earned runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings of work.
Thomas went 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored while Bissonette finished 3-for-5 with a pair of runs driven in.
UP NEXT
The series finale is set for Sunday at noon and will air on FOX Sports Southwest Plus and stream on the FOX Sports app. Radio coverage will be available on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) and live streaming audio at K-StateSports.com/watch.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Weather caused the series opener to be suspended in the bottom of the sixth inning with two Baylor runners on base and the score tied, 3-3. The Bears (32-12, 14-5 Big 12) greeted K-State (22-26, 6-11 Big 12) senior reliever Mitch Zubradt, who inherited the two runners, with a single before a bases-loaded walk plated the go-ahead run.
In the day's finale, Baylor jumped out to a five-run lead after the first inning and used a five-run fourth to open a 10-2 lead. The Wildcats cut into the deficit with a four-run sixth before an insurance run by BU put the final tally at 11-6.
GAME 1: BAYLOR 4, K-STATE 3
K-State took advantage of two Baylor errors in the top of the first inning. With runners on second and third, Terrence Spurlin lifted a three-run homer to spot the Wildcats a 3-0 lead after a half inning. Zach Kokoska doubled off BU starter Paul Dickens before Spurlin's fifth homer of the season.
In the home half of the inning, Andy Thomas' bloop single with two outs scored Richard Cunningham to get one of those three runs back. Cunningham earlier singled and the Wildcats held a 3-1 lead after an inning.
Dickens retired the next seven Wildcats he faced, allowing the Bears to claw back and tie the game in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run home run by leadoff hitter Nick Loftin. Cole Weaver led off the fifth with a single and scored on Loftin's sixth homer of the year.
After a 56-minute weather delay in the fifth inning on Friday, Loftin would be the final batter Wildcat starter Griffin Hassall would face, as lefty Eric Torres entered the game when it resumed in the bottom of the fifth.
Play had to be resumed Saturday as Zubradt inherited runners on first and second with one out. Josh Bissonette greeted Zubradt with a single before Weaver drew a bases-loaded walk to put the Bears in front by a run, 4-3, as the game went to the seventh.
K-State stranded four runners over the final three innings, including a pair in the eighth inning.
Baylor closer Kyle Hill earned a five-out save, allowing one baserunner via a walk while striking out four for his seventh save of the year.
Torres suffered the loss after allowing an earned run on two hits over an inning of work. Zubradt threw the final 2 2/3 innings with two hits against him.
Kokoska led the Cats with his 3-for-3 effort in the opener.
GAME 2: BAYLOR 11, K-STATE 6
The Bears jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the first inning, courtesy of five base hits off K-State starter Caleb Littlejim. In the inning, the Bears recorded four extra-base hits, including a two-run home run by Thomas. Loftin started the inning with a double while Cole Haring, Davion Downy and Josh Bissonette each doubled in the five-run frame.
K-State got two of those five runs back in the next half inning, as the first three Wildcats reached base. Spurlin's RBI single got the Cats on the board before Littlejim lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home Chris Ceballos.
Baylor extended its lead to eight runs with five in the fourth – all coming with two outs. After Littlejim retired the first two hitters in the inning, the next five batters reached base. Haring, Bissonette and Weaver each produced run-scoring singles in the inning that ended with the score 10-2.
Ten Wildcat hitters came to the plate in the top of the sixth as K-State cut its eight-run deficit in half with four in the inning. Thomas Hughes delivered an RBI single while Mason Crews produced a pinch-hit RBI double. Later, Littlejim drove in a pair with a two-out single as the Cats tallied five hits in the inning but left the bases loaded.
K-State threatened in the seventh, as its first two hitters reached before Baylor reliever Daniel Caruso struck out the next three Cats to keep the Bears' lead at four runs.
Baylor ended Game 2 with nine strikeouts, eight of which came over the finale three frames.
Hughes had the only multi-hit effort for the Cats in the finale, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored. Littlejim had a team-high three RBI.
Littlejim suffered the loss after he surrendered eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.
Jimmy Winston took the victory and allowed six earned runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings of work.
Thomas went 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored while Bissonette finished 3-for-5 with a pair of runs driven in.
UP NEXT
The series finale is set for Sunday at noon and will air on FOX Sports Southwest Plus and stream on the FOX Sports app. Radio coverage will be available on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) and live streaming audio at K-StateSports.com/watch.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- K-State scored three runs on six hits with one error and left seven on base in Game 1.
- K-State scored six runs on eight hits with an error and left eight on base in Game 2.
- Baylor scored four runs on nine hits with three errors and left six on base in Game 1.
- Baylor scored 11 runs on 14 hits without an error and stranded eight baserunners in Game 2.
- Kokoska had a team-high four hits in the two games.
- Spurlin led the Wildcats with four driven in over the first two games of the series.
- Littlejim drove in three in the day's finale.
- K-State hit .300 with runners in scoring position and .217 with two outs.
- Baylor hit .429 with runners in scoring position and .333 with two outs.
- Baylor leads the all-time series 50-27, with a 46-22 mark in Big 12 games.
- The Wildcats are now 8-29 on the road against the Bears.
- K-State has dropped the last five in the series with Baylor
- K-State streak of 14 straight games with a home run was snapped in Game 2, its longest streak in the Big 12 era.
- Thompson's career-long 11-game hitting streak came to an end.
- K-State is now 4-5 in one-run games.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Leckich, Ryan (4-0)
L: Torres, Eric (0-1)
S: Hill, Kyle (7)
Batting:
2B: Thompson, Cameron 1 ; Kokoska, Zach 1
HR: Spurlin, Terrence 1
RBI: Spurlin, Terrence 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Hughes, Thomas 1 ; Kokoska, Zach 1 ; Spurlin, Terrence 1
CS: Brennan, Will 1
Batting:
HR: Loftin, Nick 1
RBI: Loftin, Nick 2 ; Thomas, Andy 1 ; Weaver, Cole 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Loftin, Nick 1 ; Cunningham, Richard 1 ; Haring, Cole 1 ; Weaver, Cole 1
SB: Thomas, Andy 1
HBP: Downey, Davion 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
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