Kansas State University Athletics
Saturday, February 26
Bakersfield, Calif.
8 p.m.
Kansas State University
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CSU Bakersfield
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Kansas State
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CSU Bakersfield
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CSU Bakersfield Squeaks by K-State Saturday 2-1
Feb 26, 2022 | Baseball
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – K-State starting pitcher Connor McCullough turned in a quality start Saturday night, but CSU Bakersfield scored two runs in the fifth for its second straight one-run victory, defeating K-State 2-1 at Hardt Field.
McCullough allowed just one base hit through four innings, including a stretch of 12 consecutive Bakersfield hitters he retired. Aaron Perez snapped that streak when he started the fifth inning with a game-tying home run.
The Roadrunners (3-2) finished with four hits in the fifth while catcher Bailey Seeder delivered the go-ahead RBI single. McCullough's night ended after six innings with two earned runs allowed on five hits with seven strikeouts.
"It's either we can't support the starting pitching with our bullpen or we can't support the starting pitching with our bats," said head coach Pete Hughes after the game. "We've just got to keep at it. I say it all the time, but it's disheartening when you waste a good start. Connor was great, take nothing away from his outing. It's really tough to pitch when it's a one-run game and every pitch has meaning behind it. We're not helping our pitchers out.
"We've got a lot of really good hitters who have had success in the past trying to find their groove. We've got a great hitting coach and a great plan. We're going to stay with it and sometimes it takes one game to get everyone going."
Nick Goodwin pushed K-State (0-5) in front with a two-out RBI double in the fourth. It marked Goodwin's first double of the season while the sophomore shortstop tied his career high with three hits.
CSUB starting pitcher Adrian Santa Cruz earned the victory after scattering four hits and allowing one unearned run. Santa Cruz struck out four and walked one.
Matt Comnos entered the game for the Roadrunners in the seventh and logged three scoreless innings to go with five strikeouts. Comnos collected his first save of the season.
In relief of McCullough, Griffin Hassall struck out two over two scoreless innings. Hassall and McCullough combined to hold CSUB hitless with two outs (0-for-8).
K-State went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position, as the first three hitters in the order combined to go 0-for-11).
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Goodwin's two-out double in the fourth brought home Justin Mitchell all the way from first, who reached via a catcher's interference, to give K-State a 1-0 lead.
K-State loaded the bases with one out in the second after back-to-back singles from Cash Rugely and Goodwin. The threat ended after Cole Johnson hit into a 6-4-3 double play.
Perez's solo home run led off the bottom of the fifth and snapped a stretch of 12 straight hitters retired by McCullough. Seeger's RBI single later in the inning produced the go-ahead run. Four of the Roadrunners' five hits came in the fifth.
UP NEXT
K-State and CSUB finish the three-game series Sunday at 3 p.m. CT at Hardt Field. The finale can be seen on ESPN+ with radio coverage on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM). Free, live audio is also available at K-StateSports.com/Watch.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
McCullough allowed just one base hit through four innings, including a stretch of 12 consecutive Bakersfield hitters he retired. Aaron Perez snapped that streak when he started the fifth inning with a game-tying home run.
The Roadrunners (3-2) finished with four hits in the fifth while catcher Bailey Seeder delivered the go-ahead RBI single. McCullough's night ended after six innings with two earned runs allowed on five hits with seven strikeouts.
"It's either we can't support the starting pitching with our bullpen or we can't support the starting pitching with our bats," said head coach Pete Hughes after the game. "We've just got to keep at it. I say it all the time, but it's disheartening when you waste a good start. Connor was great, take nothing away from his outing. It's really tough to pitch when it's a one-run game and every pitch has meaning behind it. We're not helping our pitchers out.
"We've got a lot of really good hitters who have had success in the past trying to find their groove. We've got a great hitting coach and a great plan. We're going to stay with it and sometimes it takes one game to get everyone going."
Nick Goodwin pushed K-State (0-5) in front with a two-out RBI double in the fourth. It marked Goodwin's first double of the season while the sophomore shortstop tied his career high with three hits.
CSUB starting pitcher Adrian Santa Cruz earned the victory after scattering four hits and allowing one unearned run. Santa Cruz struck out four and walked one.
Matt Comnos entered the game for the Roadrunners in the seventh and logged three scoreless innings to go with five strikeouts. Comnos collected his first save of the season.
In relief of McCullough, Griffin Hassall struck out two over two scoreless innings. Hassall and McCullough combined to hold CSUB hitless with two outs (0-for-8).
K-State went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position, as the first three hitters in the order combined to go 0-for-11).
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Goodwin's two-out double in the fourth brought home Justin Mitchell all the way from first, who reached via a catcher's interference, to give K-State a 1-0 lead.
K-State loaded the bases with one out in the second after back-to-back singles from Cash Rugely and Goodwin. The threat ended after Cole Johnson hit into a 6-4-3 double play.
Perez's solo home run led off the bottom of the fifth and snapped a stretch of 12 straight hitters retired by McCullough. Seeger's RBI single later in the inning produced the go-ahead run. Four of the Roadrunners' five hits came in the fifth.
UP NEXT
K-State and CSUB finish the three-game series Sunday at 3 p.m. CT at Hardt Field. The finale can be seen on ESPN+ with radio coverage on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM). Free, live audio is also available at K-StateSports.com/Watch.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- K-State scored one run on six hits, committed two errors and left seven on base.
- CSU Bakersfield scored two runs on six hits with one error and stranded six baserunners.
- McCullough turned in a quality start, allowing two earned runs over his six innings.
- McCullough allowed one hit through four innings, as four of his five hits allowed came in the fifth.
- Goodwin drove in the Wildcats' lone run, a two-out double in the fourth.
- Goodwin matched his career high with three hits, as he accounted for half of the Cats' base hits.
- Hassall surrendered just one hit over two scoreless innings of relief, striking out two.
- K-State's top three hitters in the order combined to go 0-for-11.
- Blackburn produced the only two-hit game for CSUB (2-for-3).
- Perez's solo home run in the fifth snapped a string of 12 consecutive hitters retired by McCullough.
- With nine strikeouts, the Cats failed to reach double-digit strikeouts for the first time this season.
- The Wildcats went 3-for-12 with men on base while CSUB was 2-for-12.
- Bakersfield was held hitless with two outs (0-for-8).
- CSU Bakersfield leads the all-time series, 6-5.
- CSUB is 4-3 at home against K-State and has won the last four in Bakersfield.
- K-State begins the season 0-5 for the first time since 2014.
- Dominic Johnson's four-game hitting streak was snapped.
- Mitchell has hit safely in his last three games.
- Rugely has reached base in all five games this season.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Santa Cruz, Adrian (1-0)
L: McCullough, Connor (0-1)
S: Comnos, Matt (1)
Batting:
2B: Mitchell, Justin 1 ; Goodwin, Nick 1
RBI: Goodwin, Nick 1
SH: Hughes, Dom 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mitchell, Justin 1
HBP: Culpepper, Kaelen 2
Batting:
HR: Perez, Aaron 1
RBI: Perez, Aaron 1 ; Seeger, Bailey 1
SH: Vargas, Tyler 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Perez, Aaron 1 ; Miller, AJ 1
SB: Blackburn, Cory 1
CS: Blackburn, Cory 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballC
/ BaseballINF
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