Kansas State University Athletics
Friday, February 21
Corpus Christi, Texas
2 p.m.
Kansas State University
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Ceballos Homers, McCullough Fans Eight in 5-1 Win over Mizzou
Feb 21, 2020 | Baseball
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – K-State got a two-run home run from Chris Ceballos, two RBI from Kamron Willman and starter Connor McCullough struck out eight in the Wildcats' 5-1 victory over Missouri Friday in the opener of the Kleberg Bank College Classic at Whataburger Field.
McCullough turned in his second straight quality start in earning his first collegiate victory. The redshirt freshman scattered four hits in six innings of work, allowing one earned run with a career-high strikeout total to give K-State (3-2) its third consecutive victory and first over Missouri (2-2) since 2011.
"Great team win," head coach Pete Hughes. "But to win at our level and to win at the level we want to win at, you have to pitch, play defense and get two-out hits. We did all those things today.
"Connor [McCullough] was awesome for the second time in a row. We played great defense and we got the big home run from the senior [Ceballos] and then two two-out, two-strike hits by Willman were the story of the game."
McCullough allowed just one MU baserunner through the game's first four frames, including a stretch of 10 straight Tigers put down. McCullough, along with relievers Eric Torres and Brett Lockwood, held Mizzou without an extra-base hit.
The trio of Wildcat pitchers combined to strike out 13 batters while issuing only three walks. Missouri went 1 for 10 with two outs and 1 for 12 with runners on base.
Torres struck out two in his third outing of the year while Lockwood did not allow a baserunner over the final 1 1/3 innings.
Ceballos' two-run homer broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth inning. Cameron Thompson, who earlier singled, scored on the 11th career home run by Ceballos.
Willman delivered two, two-out RBI singles – one in the fifth and another in the seventh inning – to extend the Cats' lead to four runs at 5-1. Daniel Carinci scored on both of Willman's run-scoring singles.
Carinci led the Wildcats with three hits, his first multi-hit game of the season, going 3 for 3 with a double. The sophomore infielder has hit safely in his last four games.
K-State hit .385 (5 for 13) with two outs and went 4 for 10 with runners on base. Six hits and four RBI came from the first six hitters in the Wildcat lineup.
Chad McDaniel had two base hits to lead the Tigers, going 2 for 4. Designated hitter Paul Zimmerman drove in MU's only run, an RBI groundout in the sixth.
The Cats continue the Kleberg Bank College Classic at Whataburger Field, as they face host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Saturday at 6 p.m. The game will be streamed live on FloBaseball (paid) with radio coverage on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM). Free, live audio is also available on K-StateSports.com/watch.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
McCullough turned in his second straight quality start in earning his first collegiate victory. The redshirt freshman scattered four hits in six innings of work, allowing one earned run with a career-high strikeout total to give K-State (3-2) its third consecutive victory and first over Missouri (2-2) since 2011.
"Great team win," head coach Pete Hughes. "But to win at our level and to win at the level we want to win at, you have to pitch, play defense and get two-out hits. We did all those things today.
"Connor [McCullough] was awesome for the second time in a row. We played great defense and we got the big home run from the senior [Ceballos] and then two two-out, two-strike hits by Willman were the story of the game."
McCullough allowed just one MU baserunner through the game's first four frames, including a stretch of 10 straight Tigers put down. McCullough, along with relievers Eric Torres and Brett Lockwood, held Mizzou without an extra-base hit.
The trio of Wildcat pitchers combined to strike out 13 batters while issuing only three walks. Missouri went 1 for 10 with two outs and 1 for 12 with runners on base.
Torres struck out two in his third outing of the year while Lockwood did not allow a baserunner over the final 1 1/3 innings.
Ceballos' two-run homer broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth inning. Cameron Thompson, who earlier singled, scored on the 11th career home run by Ceballos.
Willman delivered two, two-out RBI singles – one in the fifth and another in the seventh inning – to extend the Cats' lead to four runs at 5-1. Daniel Carinci scored on both of Willman's run-scoring singles.
Carinci led the Wildcats with three hits, his first multi-hit game of the season, going 3 for 3 with a double. The sophomore infielder has hit safely in his last four games.
K-State hit .385 (5 for 13) with two outs and went 4 for 10 with runners on base. Six hits and four RBI came from the first six hitters in the Wildcat lineup.
Chad McDaniel had two base hits to lead the Tigers, going 2 for 4. Designated hitter Paul Zimmerman drove in MU's only run, an RBI groundout in the sixth.
The Cats continue the Kleberg Bank College Classic at Whataburger Field, as they face host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Saturday at 6 p.m. The game will be streamed live on FloBaseball (paid) with radio coverage on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM). Free, live audio is also available on K-StateSports.com/watch.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- K-State scored five runs on nine hits with one error and left five on base.
- Missouri scored one run on four hits with one error and stranded six baserunners.
- Ceballos' two-run homer was his first of the year and 11th of his career.
- Willman drove in two, his first two runs batted in as a Wildcat.
- Carinci tallied three hits for his first multi-hit game of the season.
- McCullough produced his second straight quality start for his first career win.
- MU went 1 for 10 with two outs and 1 for 12 with men on base.
- K-State held Missouri without an extra-base hit.
- The Cats struck out 13 hitters while issuing three walks.
- Missouri leads the all-time series 169-102-1, dating back to 1907.
- K-State picked up its first win in the series since 2011, snapping a five-game skid to Mizzou.
- The game marked the second time the Cats and Tigers have met since MU left the Big 12 after the 2012 season.
- The Wildcats last defeated a team from the Southeastern Conference in 2017 (South Carolina).
- Thompson made his 172nd consecutive start for the Wildcats and now has 195 career base hits.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: McCullough, Connor (1-0)
L: Bedell (1-1)
Batting:
RBI: Zimmermann 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Vierling 1
CS: Broyles 1
HBP: A. Peterson 1 ; James 1
Batting:
2B: Carinci, Daniel 1
HR: Ceballos, Chris 1
RBI: Willman, Kamron 2 ; Ceballos, Chris 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Burrows, Blake 1 ; Thompson, Cameron 1 ; Ceballos, Chris 1 ; Carinci, Daniel 2
HBP: Burrows, Blake 1
PO: Littlejim, Caleb 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
2
H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
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RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
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IF/OF
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LHP
/ BaseballINF
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