Kansas State University Athletics
Sunday, February 23
Corpus Christi, Texas
11 a.m.
Kansas State University
3-4
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Utah
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9
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Kansas State
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Utah
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Utes Spoil Cats’ No-Hit Bid and Walk Off Sunday, 2-1
Feb 23, 2020 | Baseball
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – K-State's Jordan Wicks and Tyler Eckberg combined to carry a no-hitter into the ninth inning Sunday, but Utah rallied to scrape across two runs in the bottom of the ninth to walk off the Wildcats, 2-1, at the Kleberg Bank College Classic at Whataburger Field.
Wicks, who logged seven no-hit innings on 103 pitches, set a career high with 10 strikeouts – the first double-digit strikeout game by a Wildcat since 2018 (Kasey Ford). The sophomore lefty gave way to Eckberg, who threw a perfect eighth inning before Matt Richardson broke up the no-hit bid with a leadoff single in the ninth.
Richardson would come around to score on a wild pitch thrown by Eckberg, tying the game 1-1. Utah (3-4) later loaded the bases with one out on a walk issued Brett Lockwood and stole the final game of the weekend after Vinny Zavolta raced home when the Wildcats (3-4) were unable to turn an inning-ending double play.
"We all knew what was going on in the game with the no-hitter," said head coach Pete Hughes. "Wicks is the real deal, but it's insignificant when it comes to his career or trying to win a ballgame. Obviously, he pitched good enough to win. That's the heartbreaking part of the day, that he didn't get a win out of the day with such a great effort."
Wicks walked four a no-decision effort and did not allow a Utah baserunner to reach second base.
Eckberg and Lockwood, who entered the game with one out in the ninth and runners on the corners, combined to walk three (one intentional) in the final half inning.
Zach Kokoska drove in the lone run for K-State, an RBI double in the top of the eighth that scored Daniel Carinci. Kokoska ended the game with a game-high two hits, going 2 for 4 with a stolen base.
Kokoska's double was the only extra-base hit in the game, as the Wildcats out-hit the Utes 7-1.
The Cats stranded seven baserunners on the day, including a bases-loaded threat when Dylan Phillips lined into a double play to end the fourth. K-State again had run-scoring opportunities in the sixth and seventh innings, but left runners on third base in both frames.
Kamron Willman singled from the leadoff spot in the fourth inning for the first of four hits against Utah starter Kyle Robeniol. Chris Ceballos also singled as part of the fourth in which the Cats loaded the bases.
Robeniol struck out three and walked two in 6 1/3 innings of work, retiring the first nine Wildcats he faced.
Reliever Zac McCleve picked up the win after facing the final three batters. McCleve walked one and allowed one hit in a third of an inning.
K-State finished 2 for 9 with runners on base while Utah was held hitless (0 for 9).
The Cats are scheduled to make a midweek stop at Wichita State on Wednesday, with first pitch set for 3 p.m. at Eck Stadium. The game will be broadcast on Cox YuView Kansas 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
Wicks, who logged seven no-hit innings on 103 pitches, set a career high with 10 strikeouts – the first double-digit strikeout game by a Wildcat since 2018 (Kasey Ford). The sophomore lefty gave way to Eckberg, who threw a perfect eighth inning before Matt Richardson broke up the no-hit bid with a leadoff single in the ninth.
Richardson would come around to score on a wild pitch thrown by Eckberg, tying the game 1-1. Utah (3-4) later loaded the bases with one out on a walk issued Brett Lockwood and stole the final game of the weekend after Vinny Zavolta raced home when the Wildcats (3-4) were unable to turn an inning-ending double play.
"We all knew what was going on in the game with the no-hitter," said head coach Pete Hughes. "Wicks is the real deal, but it's insignificant when it comes to his career or trying to win a ballgame. Obviously, he pitched good enough to win. That's the heartbreaking part of the day, that he didn't get a win out of the day with such a great effort."
Wicks walked four a no-decision effort and did not allow a Utah baserunner to reach second base.
Eckberg and Lockwood, who entered the game with one out in the ninth and runners on the corners, combined to walk three (one intentional) in the final half inning.
Zach Kokoska drove in the lone run for K-State, an RBI double in the top of the eighth that scored Daniel Carinci. Kokoska ended the game with a game-high two hits, going 2 for 4 with a stolen base.
Kokoska's double was the only extra-base hit in the game, as the Wildcats out-hit the Utes 7-1.
The Cats stranded seven baserunners on the day, including a bases-loaded threat when Dylan Phillips lined into a double play to end the fourth. K-State again had run-scoring opportunities in the sixth and seventh innings, but left runners on third base in both frames.
Kamron Willman singled from the leadoff spot in the fourth inning for the first of four hits against Utah starter Kyle Robeniol. Chris Ceballos also singled as part of the fourth in which the Cats loaded the bases.
Robeniol struck out three and walked two in 6 1/3 innings of work, retiring the first nine Wildcats he faced.
Reliever Zac McCleve picked up the win after facing the final three batters. McCleve walked one and allowed one hit in a third of an inning.
K-State finished 2 for 9 with runners on base while Utah was held hitless (0 for 9).
The Cats are scheduled to make a midweek stop at Wichita State on Wednesday, with first pitch set for 3 p.m. at Eck Stadium. The game will be broadcast on Cox YuView Kansas 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 one run on seven hits without an error and left seven on base.
- Utah scored two runs on one hit with no errors and stranded four baserunners.
- Wicks threw seven hitless innings with a career-high 10 strikeouts.
- Wicks and Eckberg combined to carry a no-hitter into the ninth inning.
- Richardson broke up the no-hitter with his leadoff single in the ninth.
- Kokoska went 2 for 4 with a double, RBI and stolen base.
- Kokoska turned in the game's only extra-base hit.
- Robeniol retired the first nine Cats he faced.
- K-State went 2 for 9 with runners on base and 2 for 10 with two outs.
- Utah finished 0 for 6 with runners on base and 0 for 7 with two outs.
- K-State leads the all-time series with Utah, 5-1.
- Wicks' 10 strikeouts marked the first double-digit strikeout performance by a Wildcat since Kasey Ford's 10 against Mercer on March 9, 2018.
- It was the first combined one-hitter thrown by K-State since Jake Dollar and Landon Busch did so against Northern Colorado on March 12, 2013.
- Thompson made his 174th consecutive start for the Wildcats.
- Thompson is three hits shy of 200 career base hits.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: McCleve, Zac (1-0)
L: Eckberg, Tyler (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Kokoska, Zach 1
RBI: Kokoska, Zach 1
SH: Willman, Kamron 1 ; Spurlin, Terrence 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Carinci, Daniel 1
SB: Kokoska, Zach 1
Batting:
RBI: Kramer, Shea 1
SH: Thompson, Tyler 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Zavolta, Vinny 1 ; Richardson, Matt 1
PO: Zavolta, Vinny 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
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C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF/LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF/LHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballINF
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