Kansas State University Athletics
Saturday, March 12
Manhattan, Kan.
2 p.m.
Kansas State University
5-7
6
vs
3
Central Connecticut State
3-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Central Connecticut
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
1
0
3
9
0
K-State
0
0
2
1
0
0
0
3
X
6
12
2
Adams' Quality Start, Three Homers Help Cats to 6-3 Win
Mar 12, 2022 | Baseball
MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State hit a season-high three home runs, including a go-ahead solo shot from Dominic Johnson in the eighth, to pair with a quality start from Blake Adams in the Wildcats' 6-3 win over Central Connecticut State in the series opener Saturday at Tointon Family Stadium.
Johnson's home run broke a 3-3 tie after Central Connecticut State (3-2) scored a run in the top of the eighth to even the score. K-State (5-7) finished with three runs in the bottom of the frame, also getting an RBI single from Justin Mitchell and an RBI double from Cole Johnson.
Adams logged his third straight quality start, scattering six hits with a pair of runs allowed over his six innings of work. The junior right-hander struck out seven, as the Arkansas transfer has at least seven punchouts in all four starts this season.
"Another great start by Blake Adams," head coach Pete Hughes said. "That's a veteran team he pitched against – a postseason, battle-tested team that puts the ball in play. He made big pitches; he was awesome. Everything was predicated off his start. And we got just enough offense early on to get us going.
"I was proud of our team playing in the eighth inning when the score was tied, and we answered back to take (the lead) and win a game from the eighth inning on."
Making his first start of the season, designated hitter Jeff Heinrich lifted a go-ahead two-run home run in the third inning. Heinrich, a senior transfer from South Carolina, produced a three-hit day (3-for-4).
"We've been waiting for him to get healthy, it's an explosive bat," Hughes said of Heinrich. "He would've had at-bats earlier if he was healthy. He got cleared yesterday afternoon, so we got him in there and got some depth. Still some jobs that need to be won. He was ready to go, he kept his head in the right place so when he got his number called, he could give us a quality outing."
"I was excited, I've been itching to get back in the lineup," said Heinrich. "I'm very grateful I got the opportunity and glad I took advantage of it."
Heinrich's first home run as a Wildcat erased a 1-0 Blue Devil lead, a lead in which they got off a solo home run from Jeff Nicol in the third. Nicol's homer was the first hit of the day given up by Adams, who sat down the first seven CCSU hitters he faced.
In the fourth, Josh Nicoloff extended the K-State lead with leadoff home run. It was the second K-State home run of the day and the second of the year for Nicoloff.
Central Connecticut State scraped a run across on a failed pickoff attempt in the sixth before tying the game in the eighth via an RBI groundout off the bat of Elliot Good.
CCSU threatened in the fifth with runners on second and third and only one out, but Adams struck out back-to-back hitters to avoid any damage.
Ty Ruhl took over for Adams and logged the final three innings in relief, earning the win after one earned run on three hits. Ruhl struck out a pair and walked one in his first collegiate victory.
Adams and Ruhl combined to hold Central Connecticut State to a .077 average with runners in scoring position (1-for-13) with 12 runners left on base.
From the leadoff spot, Dominic Johnson went 2-for-4 and tallied his first homer as a Wildcat.
Randy Reyes suffered the loss, as he yielded three runs on four hits over 1 2/3 innings of relief.
Reyes took over for starter Dominic Niman. Niman lasted six innings and surrendered seven hits and three runs with three strikeouts.
Mike Torniero led the Blue Devils offensively with three hits, going 3-for-5.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Heinrich lifted a go-ahead two-run home run in the bottom of the third while Nicoloff extended the Wildcat lead with a solo shot in the fourth.
Dominic Johnson's leadoff home run in the eighth broke a 3-3 tie and sparked a three-run inning for K-State. Also in the eighth, Mitchell added an RBI single and Cole Johnson roped an RBI double.
Central Connecticut State threatened in the top of the fifth, as it got runners on second and third with one out. Adams escaped the jam after back-to-back strikeouts.
Adams again minimized damage in the sixth after Sam Loda walked and Torniero singled, giving CCSU runners on the corners with nobody out. The Blue Devils manufactured just a single run in the inning, coming on a failed pickoff attempt.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
UP NEXT
K-State continues its series with Central Connecticut State with a Sunday doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. The second half of the double dip will begin approximately 45 minutes after the conclusion of the first game. Both games will be televised on Big 12 Now 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.
Johnson's home run broke a 3-3 tie after Central Connecticut State (3-2) scored a run in the top of the eighth to even the score. K-State (5-7) finished with three runs in the bottom of the frame, also getting an RBI single from Justin Mitchell and an RBI double from Cole Johnson.
Adams logged his third straight quality start, scattering six hits with a pair of runs allowed over his six innings of work. The junior right-hander struck out seven, as the Arkansas transfer has at least seven punchouts in all four starts this season.
"Another great start by Blake Adams," head coach Pete Hughes said. "That's a veteran team he pitched against – a postseason, battle-tested team that puts the ball in play. He made big pitches; he was awesome. Everything was predicated off his start. And we got just enough offense early on to get us going.
"I was proud of our team playing in the eighth inning when the score was tied, and we answered back to take (the lead) and win a game from the eighth inning on."
Making his first start of the season, designated hitter Jeff Heinrich lifted a go-ahead two-run home run in the third inning. Heinrich, a senior transfer from South Carolina, produced a three-hit day (3-for-4).
"We've been waiting for him to get healthy, it's an explosive bat," Hughes said of Heinrich. "He would've had at-bats earlier if he was healthy. He got cleared yesterday afternoon, so we got him in there and got some depth. Still some jobs that need to be won. He was ready to go, he kept his head in the right place so when he got his number called, he could give us a quality outing."
"I was excited, I've been itching to get back in the lineup," said Heinrich. "I'm very grateful I got the opportunity and glad I took advantage of it."
Heinrich's first home run as a Wildcat erased a 1-0 Blue Devil lead, a lead in which they got off a solo home run from Jeff Nicol in the third. Nicol's homer was the first hit of the day given up by Adams, who sat down the first seven CCSU hitters he faced.
In the fourth, Josh Nicoloff extended the K-State lead with leadoff home run. It was the second K-State home run of the day and the second of the year for Nicoloff.
Central Connecticut State scraped a run across on a failed pickoff attempt in the sixth before tying the game in the eighth via an RBI groundout off the bat of Elliot Good.
CCSU threatened in the fifth with runners on second and third and only one out, but Adams struck out back-to-back hitters to avoid any damage.
Ty Ruhl took over for Adams and logged the final three innings in relief, earning the win after one earned run on three hits. Ruhl struck out a pair and walked one in his first collegiate victory.
Adams and Ruhl combined to hold Central Connecticut State to a .077 average with runners in scoring position (1-for-13) with 12 runners left on base.
From the leadoff spot, Dominic Johnson went 2-for-4 and tallied his first homer as a Wildcat.
Randy Reyes suffered the loss, as he yielded three runs on four hits over 1 2/3 innings of relief.
Reyes took over for starter Dominic Niman. Niman lasted six innings and surrendered seven hits and three runs with three strikeouts.
Mike Torniero led the Blue Devils offensively with three hits, going 3-for-5.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Heinrich lifted a go-ahead two-run home run in the bottom of the third while Nicoloff extended the Wildcat lead with a solo shot in the fourth.
Dominic Johnson's leadoff home run in the eighth broke a 3-3 tie and sparked a three-run inning for K-State. Also in the eighth, Mitchell added an RBI single and Cole Johnson roped an RBI double.
Central Connecticut State threatened in the top of the fifth, as it got runners on second and third with one out. Adams escaped the jam after back-to-back strikeouts.
Adams again minimized damage in the sixth after Sam Loda walked and Torniero singled, giving CCSU runners on the corners with nobody out. The Blue Devils manufactured just a single run in the inning, coming on a failed pickoff attempt.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- K-State scored six runs on 12 hits, committed two errors and left five on base.
- Central Connecticut State scored three runs on nine hits without an error and stranded 12 baserunners.
- Heinrich led K-State with three hits, going 3-for 4 with two RBI, including his first home run as a Wildcat.
- Dominic Johnson and Nicoloff also homered in the game.
- The Cats have homered in five straight games and in six of the last seven.
- Dominic Johnson produced the Wildcats' other multi-hit game with a 2-for-4 effort.
- Cole Johnson and Mitchell each drove in a run.
- Adams recorded his third straight quality start of the season.
- Ruhl was credited with his first collegiate victory after three innings of relief.
- Torniero went 3-for-5 to lead CCSU.
- Nicol homered and Good was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
- The Blue Devils were held to 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position and 2-for-11 with two outs.
- K-State went 3-for-10 with two outs with three two-out RBI.
- K-State leads the all-time series 2-0, as this was the first meeting since 2000.
- This was the first meeting in Manhattan between the teams.
- The Cats are 17-2 against teams from the Northeast Conference.
- Salinas has reached base safely in all 11 games in which he has appeared while Goodwin pushed his on-base streak to 10 games.
- Goodwin and Salinas are each riding eight-game hitting streaks.
- Dominic Johnson is on a seven-game hitting streak while Nicoloff has hit safely in the last six contests.
UP NEXT
K-State continues its series with Central Connecticut State with a Sunday doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. The second half of the double dip will begin approximately 45 minutes after the conclusion of the first game. Both games will be televised on Big 12 Now 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.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ruhl, Ty (1-1)
L: REYES, Randy (1-2)
Batting:
HR: NICOL, Jeff 1
RBI: NICOL, Jeff 1 ; GOOD, Elliot 1
SH: DEVITO, Jay 1
Base Running:
RUNS: LODA, Sam 2 ; NICOL, Jeff 1
HBP: PASQUALINI, Hunter 1
Batting:
2B: Johnson, Cole 1
HR: Johnson, Dominic 1 ; Heinrich, Jeff 1 ; Nicoloff, Josh 1
RBI: Johnson, Dominic 1 ; Heinrich, Jeff 2 ; Nicoloff, Josh 1 ; Mitchell, Justin 1 ; Johnson, Cole 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Johnson, Dominic 1 ; Heinrich, Jeff 1 ; Hughes, Dom 1 ; Nicoloff, Josh 2 ; Culpepper, Kaelen 1
CS: Salinas, Jr., Orlando 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP/DH
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/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
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/ Baseball
INF
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