Adams, Johnson Keep K-State Rolling

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State extended its winning streak to six games behind a career-high four hits from Dominic Johnson and Blake Adams' fourth consecutive quality start, as the Wildcats rolled to a 10-2 victory over Morehead State in the series opener Friday night at Tointon Family Stadium.

Johnson registered a hit in each of his first four at-bats in extending his hitting streak to 11 games, ending the night 4-for-5 with a double, two runs batted in and three runs scored. Johnson has tallied multiple hits in each of his last seven games.

"He makes us go," head coach Pete Hughes said of Johnson. "He's on one of those stretches right now. So I try not to mess with him and just let him do his thing and keep writing his name at the top of the order."

Adams lasted 6 1/3 innings, scattering five hits and striking out seven while allowing a lone earned run. Adams held Morehead State scoreless through the game's first five innings, limiting the Eagles to three hits in that stretch.

"Our goal is to get better as a team every game," said Hughes. "Our opportunities are getting fewer and fewer before we get into Big 12 play. I thought we did that tonight. I thought it was a good sound win. Everything starts, begins and ends, with good starting pitching and we got that from Blake (Adams). Once again, he's been the model of consistency."

Adams (2-1), a junior transfer from Arkansas, has logged at least six innings and struck out at least seven in each of his five starts this season. Entering Friday, he was tied for second in the Big 12 in strikeouts.

The K-State (9-7) offense ignited in the second inning, rattling off five straight hits – including four straight run-scoring knocks – off MSU (7-10) starter Luke Helton. Cole Johnson sparked the rally with a double down the left field line and later scored on a triple by Orlando Salinas.

Kaelen Culpepper brought home Salinas on a single up the middle and Raphael Pelletier plated Culpepper with a double to the gap in right center. Dominic Johnson added an RBI single and Dylan Phillips capped the scoring frenzy with a double down the right field line.

In total, the Cats registered four extra-base hits and brought all nine hitters to the plate in the second inning.

Dominic Johnson and Josh Nicoloff each drove in a run in the sixth while Nick Goodwin's two-run triple in the eighth completed the scoring.

"One area that I haven't been too pleased with our team is when we jump out to leads, we seem to get comfortable and stop building," Hughes added. "So that was good to see that tonight we jumped out on a lead and we kept building throughout the game."

Eight of the nine in K-State's starting lineup tallied a base hit, as the Cats eclipsed double-digit hits for the fifth straight contest. As a team, K-State produced seven extra-base hits with five doubles and two triples.

Cole Johnson closed the night 3-for-4 with a double while Pelletier and Phillips each carded a double in two-hit nights.

In relief of Adams, Blake Corsentino and Nico Rodriguez combined to throw 2 1/3 innings while each picking up two strikeouts. Corsentino kept MSU without a hit over 1 2/3 innings.

Helton suffered the loss for Morehead State after surrendering six runs (five earned) on 11 hits over five innings. He struck out two and walked one.

Alex Jacobs accounted for three of the Eagles' six hits in the game, going 3-for-3 with an RBI. Chase Vinson produced MSU's only extra-base hit, a double in the ninth.

Adams, Corsentino and Rodriguez held Morehead State without a hit with runners in scoring position (0-for-3). Conversely, the Cats' offense hit .389 with runners in scoring position.

K-State's six-game winning streak equals the longest under Hughes, as his team has won its first five home games for the first time since 2018.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
K-State strung together five consecutive hits in the second inning, with four being RBI base hits, as part of a five-run second inning. Cole Johnson sparked the rally with a double and scored when Salinas roped a tripled to right center field. Culpepper followed with an RBI single, Pelletier an RBI double and Dominic Johnson with an RBI single.

Later in the inning, Phillips doubled down the right field line to cap the frame that saw the Cats register four extra-base hits.

The Wildcats added two in the sixth on an RBI single from Dominic Johnson and an RBI fielder's choice from Nicoloff before a two-run triple by Goodwin in the eighth.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

K-State scored 10 runs on 13 hits, committed no errors and left nine on base.
Morehead State scored two runs on six hits with three errors and stranded six baserunners.
Dominic Johnson turned in his first career four-hit game, going 4-for-5 with two RBI and three runs scored.
Cole Johnson finished 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
The Wildcats finished with seven extra-base hits (seven doubles, two triples).
Goodwin and Salinas each recorded their first triples of the season.
K-State had just one triple on the season entering the game.
Eight of K-State's nine starters registered a base hit.
Pelletier and Phillips each tallied two hits, as Pelletier turned in the first multi-hit effort of his career.
Pelletier threw out a would-be base stealer for the second straight game.
Adams produced his fourth consecutive quality start (6.1 IP, ER, 7 K).
Jacobs paced the Eagles in going 3-for-3 with an RBI.
K-State hit .389 with runners in scoring position while MSU was hitless (0-for-3).

NOTES

K-State leads the all-time series 3-1 and has won the last three matchups.
K-State is 3-0 at home in the series, as this was the first meeting since 2004.
The Wildcats' six-game winning streak matches the longest such streak under Hughes.
Dominic Johnson pushed his hitting streak to 11 games, with multiple hits in each of his last seven contests.
Nicoloff now has a 10-game hitting streak and Cole Johnson owns an nine-game streak.
K-State's stretch of eight straight games with a home run came to an end.
The Cats have won their first five home games for the first time since 2018.

UP NEXT
K-State and Morehead State continue the series Saturday at 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Radio coverage can be heard on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) with free, live audio is also available at K-StateSports.com/Watch.

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Team Stats

Dominic Johnson

Cole Johnson

Dylan Phillips

Raphael Pelletier

Players Mentioned

Cole Johnson

Dominic Johnson

Players Mentioned

Cole Johnson

Dominic Johnson

Kansas State University Athletics