Kansas State University Athletics
Thursday, May 26
Arlington, Texas
12:30 p.m.
Kansas State University
28-28
8
vs
5
West Virginia
33-22
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
K-State
2
1
0
0
1
2
1
0
1
8
12
0
West Virginia
0
0
3
0
0
0
1
0
1
5
6
3
Photo by: Lathe Cobb Photography
Photo by: Lathe Cobb Photography
Photo by: Lathe Cobb Photography
Photo by: Lathe Cobb Photography
Photo by: Lathe Cobb Photography
Photo by: Lathe Cobb Photography
Photo by: Lathe Cobb Photography
Photo by: Lathe Cobb Photography
Photo by: Lathe Cobb Photography
Photo by: Lathe Cobb Photography
Photo by: Lathe Cobb Photography
Photo by: Lathe Cobb Photography
Photo by: Lathe Cobb Photography
Photo by: Lathe Cobb Photography
Photo by: Lathe Cobb Photography
Adams, K-State Knock Out West Virginia 8-5
May 26, 2022 | Baseball
ARLINGTON, Texas – Blake Adams struck out nine, Dominic Johnson homered and K-State ousted West Virginia 8-5 in an elimination game Thursday afternoon at the 2022 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Globe Life Field.
K-State (28-28) scored in six different innings, jumping out to a 3-0 lead after two innings. Dylan Phillips registered three hits in a 3-for-5 day with two runs batted in to lead eight different Wildcats with a base hit.
"Life in the losing bracket is a tough, tough life to live," said head coach Pete Hughes. "We hadn't been playing well but our kids are resilient, and I thought they came out with a lot of energy against a team that has been playing well. It's important for us to jump out and get the lead early and we haven't done that in a while. It begins and ends with a solid start and good starting pitching which we got from Blake today."
Adams pitched into the seventh inning, as he retired nine straight and 12 of 13 batters at one point. Adams struck out five over the first two innings and finished the day with four earned runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings.
"They got to me early last week and I had to change a few things and really focus on getting the ball down which was a big key today," Adams said. "I left a few pitches up and this is a team that makes you pay for it, and they made me pay for it last week. I was building off last week's learning experience to come in with some momentum. I started making pitches in the third inning and getting ahead of batters which was key."
Adams took the mound with a two-run lead, as Johnson kickstarted his offense with a single to begin the game. Nick Goodwin drove him in with a one-out double and Phillips tallied his first RBI single a batter later.
In relief of Adams, Ty Ruhl and Phillips held the Mountaineers (33-22) without a hit over the day's final 2 1/3 innings. Phillips moved from first base to the mound in the ninth, inheriting two baserunners, and retired all three he faced for his team-high seventh save.
West Virginia erased the Wildcats' three-run lead with three runs in the third inning, as four consecutive Mountaineers reached base with two outs. McGwire Holbrook, Braden Barry and Dayne Leonard rattled off consecutive run-scoring singles off Adams to even the score.
The game remained tied until Justin Mitchell delivered a go-ahead, two-out single in the fifth. Phillips, who began the frame with a single, came around to score on Mitchell's first of two hits.
The Cats expanded their lead an inning later, as Johnson led off the sixth with his 12th home run of the season. Cash Rugely followed with a single and later scampered home on a two-out single from Phillips.
In the seventh, Rugely drew his second bases-loaded walk of the game, staking K-State with a 7-3 advantage.
After WVU got one run back in the bottom of the seventh, Josh Nicoloff started the ninth with a double. Nicoloff moved to third on a sacrifice bunt laid down by Mitchell and a batter later, raced home on a squeeze play executed by Raphael Pelletier.
"We just played West Virginia last weekend and our guys know how explosive that offense can be," Hughes added. "They can put a five spot up on you in a heartbeat. You saw in the third inning today that they were going first to third on us for 20 minutes. I think it was fresh in our guys' heads, you can't build a big enough lead against West Virginia, a national tournament team."
K-State laid down a season-high four sacrifice bunts in the game.
The Wildcats stranded 11 baserunners in the game, including eight from the second though the fourth innings. K-State left the bases loaded in the second, finishing 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
The win snapped a five-game losing skid and was K-State's first against WVU this season. The Wildcats advance to Friday action at the Big 12 Championship for the second straight season.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Johnson led off the game with a single and later came around to score on a double off the bat of Goodwin. Phillips followed with an RBI single as the Wildcats handed Adams a 2-0 lead after a half an inning.
K-State tacked on another run an inning later, as Rugely drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs. Kaelen Culpepper led off the inning with a double while Mitchell and Johnson each walked in the inning.
Four consecutive Mountaineers reached with two outs in the third, including three straight RBI singles from Holbrooke, Barry and Leonard to level the score at 3 through three innings.
A two-out knock by Mitchell reclaimed the lead for the Wildcats in the top of the fifth. Mitchell's RBI single scored Phillips, who led off the inning with a single.
Johnson's leadoff homer in the sixth pushed K-State's lead to 5-3. Phillips' third hit of the day, an RBI single coming with two outs, scored Rugely to make it a three-run game.
Rugely drew a second bases-loaded walk in the seventh, extending the lead to four runs. WVU answered with a two-out double by Victor Scott in the home half, which ended Adams' outing.
Nicoloff started the ninth with a double, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt laid down by Mitchell and sprinted home on a squeeze play executed by Pelletier. The insurance run created a four-run edge at 8-4 as the game went to the bottom of the ninth.
Phillips moved from first base to the mound in a save situation, inherited two men on after Ruhl walked the first two WVU hitters in the bottom of the ninth. Phillips retired all three Mountaineers he faced in the ninth, including a game-ending strikeout for his seventh save.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
UP NEXT
K-State faces either No. 2 seed Texas Tech or third-seeded Oklahoma Friday at 7 p.m. in an elimination game at the 2022 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship. The game can be seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Radio coverage can be heard on the K-State Sports Radio Network with live audio streaming at K-StateSports.com/Watch.
K-State (28-28) scored in six different innings, jumping out to a 3-0 lead after two innings. Dylan Phillips registered three hits in a 3-for-5 day with two runs batted in to lead eight different Wildcats with a base hit.
"Life in the losing bracket is a tough, tough life to live," said head coach Pete Hughes. "We hadn't been playing well but our kids are resilient, and I thought they came out with a lot of energy against a team that has been playing well. It's important for us to jump out and get the lead early and we haven't done that in a while. It begins and ends with a solid start and good starting pitching which we got from Blake today."
Adams pitched into the seventh inning, as he retired nine straight and 12 of 13 batters at one point. Adams struck out five over the first two innings and finished the day with four earned runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings.
"They got to me early last week and I had to change a few things and really focus on getting the ball down which was a big key today," Adams said. "I left a few pitches up and this is a team that makes you pay for it, and they made me pay for it last week. I was building off last week's learning experience to come in with some momentum. I started making pitches in the third inning and getting ahead of batters which was key."
Adams took the mound with a two-run lead, as Johnson kickstarted his offense with a single to begin the game. Nick Goodwin drove him in with a one-out double and Phillips tallied his first RBI single a batter later.
In relief of Adams, Ty Ruhl and Phillips held the Mountaineers (33-22) without a hit over the day's final 2 1/3 innings. Phillips moved from first base to the mound in the ninth, inheriting two baserunners, and retired all three he faced for his team-high seventh save.
West Virginia erased the Wildcats' three-run lead with three runs in the third inning, as four consecutive Mountaineers reached base with two outs. McGwire Holbrook, Braden Barry and Dayne Leonard rattled off consecutive run-scoring singles off Adams to even the score.
The game remained tied until Justin Mitchell delivered a go-ahead, two-out single in the fifth. Phillips, who began the frame with a single, came around to score on Mitchell's first of two hits.
The Cats expanded their lead an inning later, as Johnson led off the sixth with his 12th home run of the season. Cash Rugely followed with a single and later scampered home on a two-out single from Phillips.
In the seventh, Rugely drew his second bases-loaded walk of the game, staking K-State with a 7-3 advantage.
After WVU got one run back in the bottom of the seventh, Josh Nicoloff started the ninth with a double. Nicoloff moved to third on a sacrifice bunt laid down by Mitchell and a batter later, raced home on a squeeze play executed by Raphael Pelletier.
"We just played West Virginia last weekend and our guys know how explosive that offense can be," Hughes added. "They can put a five spot up on you in a heartbeat. You saw in the third inning today that they were going first to third on us for 20 minutes. I think it was fresh in our guys' heads, you can't build a big enough lead against West Virginia, a national tournament team."
K-State laid down a season-high four sacrifice bunts in the game.
The Wildcats stranded 11 baserunners in the game, including eight from the second though the fourth innings. K-State left the bases loaded in the second, finishing 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
The win snapped a five-game losing skid and was K-State's first against WVU this season. The Wildcats advance to Friday action at the Big 12 Championship for the second straight season.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Johnson led off the game with a single and later came around to score on a double off the bat of Goodwin. Phillips followed with an RBI single as the Wildcats handed Adams a 2-0 lead after a half an inning.
K-State tacked on another run an inning later, as Rugely drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs. Kaelen Culpepper led off the inning with a double while Mitchell and Johnson each walked in the inning.
Four consecutive Mountaineers reached with two outs in the third, including three straight RBI singles from Holbrooke, Barry and Leonard to level the score at 3 through three innings.
A two-out knock by Mitchell reclaimed the lead for the Wildcats in the top of the fifth. Mitchell's RBI single scored Phillips, who led off the inning with a single.
Johnson's leadoff homer in the sixth pushed K-State's lead to 5-3. Phillips' third hit of the day, an RBI single coming with two outs, scored Rugely to make it a three-run game.
Rugely drew a second bases-loaded walk in the seventh, extending the lead to four runs. WVU answered with a two-out double by Victor Scott in the home half, which ended Adams' outing.
Nicoloff started the ninth with a double, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt laid down by Mitchell and sprinted home on a squeeze play executed by Pelletier. The insurance run created a four-run edge at 8-4 as the game went to the bottom of the ninth.
Phillips moved from first base to the mound in a save situation, inherited two men on after Ruhl walked the first two WVU hitters in the bottom of the ninth. Phillips retired all three Mountaineers he faced in the ninth, including a game-ending strikeout for his seventh save.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- K-State scored eight runs on 12 hits without an error and left 11 on base.
- West Virginia scored five runs on six hits, committed three errors and stranded seven baserunners.
- Phillips led all players with three hits, going 3-for-5 with two RBI, to equal his season high.
- Johnson homered in the sixth, K-State's first home run of the tournament.
- Johnson now has 12 home runs on the season.
- Culpepper and Goodwin each doubled for the second straight game.
- Johnson and Mitchell both tallied a pair of hits, as Johnson reached base four times (two walks).
- The Wildcats utilized four sacrifice bunts – a season high.
- Eight of nine starters registered at least one hit, as K-State scored in six different frames.
- Adams struck out nine over 6 2/3 innings, scattering six hits and four earned runs in the win,
- Adams retired nine straight hitters at one point and 12 of 13.
- The Mountaineers got five innings from Hampton in the start.
- Hampton gave up four earned runs on six hits with four walks and five strikeouts.
- No WVU hitter had more than one base hit.
- Three West Virginia relievers allowed four earned runs on six hits over four innings.
- WVU tallied four two-out RBI.
- K-State went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position and 3-for-11 with two outs.
- West Virginia was 5-for-14 with two outs and 4-for-14 with men on base.
- The matchup marked the first in the Big 12 Championship between K-State and West Virginia.
- K-State advances to Friday of the Big 12 Championship for the second straight season.
- The Wildcats are 18-23 all-time at the Big 12 Championship.
- West Virginia leads the all-time series 16-12 and this was K-State's first win of the season against WVU.
- Hughes is 4-5 in his K-State career at the Big 12 Championship.
- The Cats snapped their five-game losing skid.
- Away from home this season, the Wildcats are 7-21 (1-4 in neutral-site contests).
UP NEXT
K-State faces either No. 2 seed Texas Tech or third-seeded Oklahoma Friday at 7 p.m. in an elimination game at the 2022 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship. The game can be seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Radio coverage can be heard on the K-State Sports Radio Network with live audio streaming at K-StateSports.com/Watch.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Adams, Blake (6-6)
L: Hampton, Ben (8-5)
S: Phillips, Dylan (7)
Batting:
2B: Goodwin, Nick 1 ; Culpepper, Kaelen 1 ; Nicoloff, Josh 1
HR: Johnson, Dominic 1
RBI: Johnson, Dominic 1 ; Rugely, Cash 2 ; Goodwin, Nick 1 ; Phillips, Dylan 2 ; Mitchell, Justin 1 ; Pelletier, Raphael 1
SH: Johnson, Dominic 1 ; Mitchell, Justin 1 ; Pelletier, Raphael 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Johnson, Dominic 2 ; Rugely, Cash 1 ; Goodwin, Nick 1 ; Phillips, Dylan 1 ; Culpepper, Kaelen 1 ; Nicoloff, Josh 1 ; Mitchell, Justin 1
CS: Phillips, Dylan 1
HBP: Nicoloff, Josh 1
PO: Phillips, Dylan 1
Batting:
2B: Scott II, Victor 1
RBI: Wetherholt, J.J. 1 ; Scott II, Victor 1 ; Holbrook, McGwire 1 ; Barry, Braden 1 ; Leonard, Dayne 1
SF: Wetherholt, J.J. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wetherholt, J.J. 1 ; Scott II, Victor 1 ; Holbrook, McGwire 1 ; Hussey, Grant 1 ; Tucker, Tevin 1
SB: Wetherholt, J.J. 1
HBP: Wetherholt, J.J. 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
1b/p
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
RHP/DH
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
C
/ BaseballOF/LHP
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
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