Kansas State University Athletics
Friday, May 27
Arlington, Texas
7 p.m.
Kansas State University
29-28
6
vs
5
Texas Tech
37-20
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
R
H
E
K-State
0
3
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
6
12
0
Texas Tech
0
0
0
1
0
3
1
0
0
0
0
5
7
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
Photo by: Lathe Cobb Photography
Photo by: Lathe Cobb Photography
Photo by: Lathe Cobb Photography
Cats Survive in Extras to Eliminate No. 8 Red Raiders
May 28, 2022 | Baseball
ARLINGTON, Texas – K-State's Josh Nicoloff laid down a squeeze bunt in the top of the 11th inning to score Cole Johnson for the winning run Friday night, as the Wildcats survived with a 6-5 victory over No. 8 Texas Tech in an elimination game at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Globe Life Field.
Johnson reached second base on a dropped fly ball by TTU left fielder Easton Murrell to begin the 11th inning. Freshman Kaelen Culpepper then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Johnson to third before Nicoloff executed a suicide squeeze to plate the go-ahead run.
The Wildcats (29-28) were down to their last out in the top of the ninth, trailing 5-4 with Brady Day on first base. Nick Goodwin singled and Johnson drew a walk to load the bases. Day was able to sprint home on a wild pitch by Texas Tech reliever Austin Becker to send the game into extra innings.
"It's a high-character win for our program," said head coach Pete Hughes. "Could've packed it in a couple days ago, could've packed it in three of four different times during that game. Our guys just keep figuring out ways to win. That was a fun game, it was a good win for our team. Like I told our guys, we can feel good about it for a little while but it's a quick turnaround. We've got to figure out how to play great for an entire day tomorrow."
K-State advances to the semifinal round of the Big 12 Championship for the second straight year. The Cats will take on Oklahoma Saturday and need to defeat the Sooners twice for an opportunity to play in the championship game on Sunday.
"To me, I was playing with house money," Hughes said of his team's consecutive sacrifice bunts in the 11th. "They misplayed a fly ball, we get a guy to second base. We hadn't been very productive getting the big hit the entire night, so I thought we'd give them a different look and get the winning run to third base with one out.
"Josh [Nicoloff] would be the first one to tell you he hasn't been feeling great at the plate. I trust him as a veteran player to get a bunt down, especially a squeeze, so I thought I was putting him in the best situation to have success."
"Once I was on deck and Cole [Johnson] was at second with no outs and I saw that (Culpepper) was given the bunt sign, so in my head I was kind of preparing for a squeeze," said Nicoloff. "I feel pretty confident, just to be able to get the job done when it comes to bunting. And it felt really good just to be able to help the team win in a different type of way."
Goodwin sparked a three-run second inning by hitting the first pitch of the frame from TTU starter Brandon Birdsell over the wall in left field. Senior Justin Mitchell later delivered a two-run single that scored Johnson and Culpepper.
The Cats tagged Birdsell, the 2022 Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, for four earned runs on nine hits over his six innings.
After Texas Tech (37-20) scored four unanswered runs in the middle innings to take a 4-3 lead, Ty Ruhl allowed his offense to claw back into the game with 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief without allowing a hit.
Ruhl worked around two walks in the 10th and earned the victory after striking out four.
Ruhl handed the ball over to Dylan Phillips, who moved from first base to take the hill to begin the 11th. The left-handed utility man hurled a perfect inning with two strikeouts, including a game-ending strikeout of Hudson White.
After Texas Tech took a 4-3 lead with three in the sixth, Day tied the game with an RBI single in the top of the seventh. Dominic Johnson led off the inning with a double and scored the tying run on Day's knock.
Dillon Carter gave Tech the lead right back with a single in the home half of the seventh, as Parker Kelly preceded Carter's go-ahead hit with a double. Carter's base hit ended reliever Blake Corsentino's outing, giving way to Ruhl.
Corsentino entered the game for starter German Fajardo in the sixth after Fajardo walked Murrell to lead off the inning. A Cole Stilwell single and a two-run double by Ty Coleman gave Texas Tech its first lead.
In the start, Fajardo allowed just one baserunner through his first three innings, striking out five and not allowing a hit. Fajardo left the game with his final line showing two hits allowed and six strikeouts over five-plus innings of work.
K-State left 14 runners on base – a season high – and left the bases full in the second, ninth and 10th innings.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Goodwin jumped on the first pitch of the second inning, sending Birdsell's offering over wall in left field. Cole Johnson followed with a double, Culpepper singled and Mitchell drove them both in with a single up the middle. In the inning, K-State brought all nine to the plate and recorded five hits in staking Fajardo a 3-0 lead.
Fajardo hit Stilwell to begin the bottom of the fourth, as he came around to score on a sacrifice fly lifted by Coleman. The Red Raiders tallied their first hit off Fajardo in the inning, a single to right field by Jace Jung.
The first two TTU hitters reached in the bottom of the sixth, as Murrell's leadoff walk ended Fajardo's day. After a single from Stilwell, Coleman tied the game with a two-run double. The go-ahead run came home on a failed pickoff attempt by Corsentino.
K-State responded in the next half inning when Dominic Johnson doubled to start the seventh and later scored on an RBI single by Day. Day's game-tying hit chased Birdsell, as TTU went with Derek Bridges who retired the next three Wildcats to keep the game tied at 4.
Carter's RBI single in the home half of the seventh reclaimed the lead for Texas Tech. His single to center field scored Kelly, who doubled off Corsentino with one out.
Still trailing by a run in the top of the ninth, K-State loaded the bases with two outs. Day sprinted home from third base to score the tying run on a wild pitch given by Becker. The Cats were unable to push across the go-ahead run and left the bases loaded, forcing the game to extra innings.
Murrell dropped a fly ball down the left field line in the top of the 11th which allowed Cole Johnson, the leadoff hitter, to reach second base. Consecutive sacrifice bunts laid down by Culpepper and Nicoloff allowed Johnson to score what stand as the winning run.
Phillips moved to the mound from first to log a perfect bottom half to pick up his second save of the tournament and eighth of the season, striking out White to end the game.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
UP NEXT
K-State faces third-seeded Oklahoma Saturday at 12:30 p.m. in the semifinal round of 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.
Johnson reached second base on a dropped fly ball by TTU left fielder Easton Murrell to begin the 11th inning. Freshman Kaelen Culpepper then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Johnson to third before Nicoloff executed a suicide squeeze to plate the go-ahead run.
The Wildcats (29-28) were down to their last out in the top of the ninth, trailing 5-4 with Brady Day on first base. Nick Goodwin singled and Johnson drew a walk to load the bases. Day was able to sprint home on a wild pitch by Texas Tech reliever Austin Becker to send the game into extra innings.
"It's a high-character win for our program," said head coach Pete Hughes. "Could've packed it in a couple days ago, could've packed it in three of four different times during that game. Our guys just keep figuring out ways to win. That was a fun game, it was a good win for our team. Like I told our guys, we can feel good about it for a little while but it's a quick turnaround. We've got to figure out how to play great for an entire day tomorrow."
K-State advances to the semifinal round of the Big 12 Championship for the second straight year. The Cats will take on Oklahoma Saturday and need to defeat the Sooners twice for an opportunity to play in the championship game on Sunday.
"To me, I was playing with house money," Hughes said of his team's consecutive sacrifice bunts in the 11th. "They misplayed a fly ball, we get a guy to second base. We hadn't been very productive getting the big hit the entire night, so I thought we'd give them a different look and get the winning run to third base with one out.
"Josh [Nicoloff] would be the first one to tell you he hasn't been feeling great at the plate. I trust him as a veteran player to get a bunt down, especially a squeeze, so I thought I was putting him in the best situation to have success."
"Once I was on deck and Cole [Johnson] was at second with no outs and I saw that (Culpepper) was given the bunt sign, so in my head I was kind of preparing for a squeeze," said Nicoloff. "I feel pretty confident, just to be able to get the job done when it comes to bunting. And it felt really good just to be able to help the team win in a different type of way."
Goodwin sparked a three-run second inning by hitting the first pitch of the frame from TTU starter Brandon Birdsell over the wall in left field. Senior Justin Mitchell later delivered a two-run single that scored Johnson and Culpepper.
The Cats tagged Birdsell, the 2022 Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, for four earned runs on nine hits over his six innings.
After Texas Tech (37-20) scored four unanswered runs in the middle innings to take a 4-3 lead, Ty Ruhl allowed his offense to claw back into the game with 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief without allowing a hit.
Ruhl worked around two walks in the 10th and earned the victory after striking out four.
Ruhl handed the ball over to Dylan Phillips, who moved from first base to take the hill to begin the 11th. The left-handed utility man hurled a perfect inning with two strikeouts, including a game-ending strikeout of Hudson White.
After Texas Tech took a 4-3 lead with three in the sixth, Day tied the game with an RBI single in the top of the seventh. Dominic Johnson led off the inning with a double and scored the tying run on Day's knock.
Dillon Carter gave Tech the lead right back with a single in the home half of the seventh, as Parker Kelly preceded Carter's go-ahead hit with a double. Carter's base hit ended reliever Blake Corsentino's outing, giving way to Ruhl.
Corsentino entered the game for starter German Fajardo in the sixth after Fajardo walked Murrell to lead off the inning. A Cole Stilwell single and a two-run double by Ty Coleman gave Texas Tech its first lead.
In the start, Fajardo allowed just one baserunner through his first three innings, striking out five and not allowing a hit. Fajardo left the game with his final line showing two hits allowed and six strikeouts over five-plus innings of work.
K-State left 14 runners on base – a season high – and left the bases full in the second, ninth and 10th innings.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Goodwin jumped on the first pitch of the second inning, sending Birdsell's offering over wall in left field. Cole Johnson followed with a double, Culpepper singled and Mitchell drove them both in with a single up the middle. In the inning, K-State brought all nine to the plate and recorded five hits in staking Fajardo a 3-0 lead.
Fajardo hit Stilwell to begin the bottom of the fourth, as he came around to score on a sacrifice fly lifted by Coleman. The Red Raiders tallied their first hit off Fajardo in the inning, a single to right field by Jace Jung.
The first two TTU hitters reached in the bottom of the sixth, as Murrell's leadoff walk ended Fajardo's day. After a single from Stilwell, Coleman tied the game with a two-run double. The go-ahead run came home on a failed pickoff attempt by Corsentino.
K-State responded in the next half inning when Dominic Johnson doubled to start the seventh and later scored on an RBI single by Day. Day's game-tying hit chased Birdsell, as TTU went with Derek Bridges who retired the next three Wildcats to keep the game tied at 4.
Carter's RBI single in the home half of the seventh reclaimed the lead for Texas Tech. His single to center field scored Kelly, who doubled off Corsentino with one out.
Still trailing by a run in the top of the ninth, K-State loaded the bases with two outs. Day sprinted home from third base to score the tying run on a wild pitch given by Becker. The Cats were unable to push across the go-ahead run and left the bases loaded, forcing the game to extra innings.
Murrell dropped a fly ball down the left field line in the top of the 11th which allowed Cole Johnson, the leadoff hitter, to reach second base. Consecutive sacrifice bunts laid down by Culpepper and Nicoloff allowed Johnson to score what stand as the winning run.
Phillips moved to the mound from first to log a perfect bottom half to pick up his second save of the tournament and eighth of the season, striking out White to end the game.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- K-State scored six runs on 12 hits without an error and left 14 on base.
- Texas Tech scored five runs on seven hits, committed three errors and stranded five baserunners.
- Nicoloff executed a squeeze play in the 11th inning to score Cole Johnson for the game-winning run.
- Eight Wildcats registered a hit, with four turning in two-hit efforts.
- Mitchell drove in two with a single in the second inning.
- Day delivered a game-tying RBI single in the seventh and later scored the tying run in the ninth on a wild pitch.
- K-State's 14 left on base marked a season high.
- Goodwin launched his 11th home run of the season and 21st of his career.
- Cole Johnson and Dominic Johnson each doubled.
- Dominic Johnson recorded his 20th double of the season, moving him into a fourth-place tie for most in any season by a Wildcat.
- Fajardo surrendered just two hits over five-plus innings, striking out six and walking one.
- Ruhl picked up the win with three hitless innings of relief.
- Phillips collected his eighth save of the season and second of the tournament with a perfect 11th.
- Coleman drove in a game-high three runs for TTU.
- Carter delivered a go-ahead RBI single in the bottom of the seventh.
- Birdsell was tagged for four earned runs on nine hits in six innings.
- K-State went 1-for-12 with two outs and 6-for-19 with runners on base.
- Texas Tech was 1-for-11 with two outs and 5-for-17 with men on base.
- The Wildcats reach the semifinal round of the Big 12 Championship for the second consecutive season.
- K-State is 4-4 against the Red Raiders at the Big 12 Baseball Championship.
- The Cats eliminated Texas Tech for the second straight season.
- The Wildcats are 19-23 all-time at the Big 12 Championship.
- Texas Tech leads the all-time series 50-32-1.
- K-State is now 1-4 against TTU this season.
- K-State is 4-12 against ranked teams this season and 4-8 against the top 10.
- Away from home this season, the Wildcats are 8-21 (2-4 in neutral-site contests).
- Phillips' 13 career RBI are the most by any Wildcat at the Big 12 Championship.
- It marked the Cats' second extra-inning game this season (1-1).
- It was K-State's first extra-inning contest at the Big 12 Championship since 2019.
UP NEXT
K-State faces third-seeded Oklahoma Saturday at 12:30 p.m. in the semifinal round of 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: Ruhl, Ty (5-2)
L: Beckel, B. (0-1)
S: Phillips, Dylan (8)
Batting:
2B: Johnson, Dominic 1 ; Johnson, Cole 1
HR: Goodwin, Nick 1
RBI: Day, Brady 1 ; Goodwin, Nick 1 ; Nicoloff, Josh 1 ; Mitchell, Justin 2
SH: Culpepper, Kaelen 1 ; Nicoloff, Josh 2 ; Rugely, Cash 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Johnson, Dominic 1 ; Day, Brady 1 ; Goodwin, Nick 1 ; Johnson, Cole 2 ; Culpepper, Kaelen 1
SB: Johnson, Cole 1 ; Culpepper, Kaelen 1
CS: Day, Brady 1
Batting:
2B: Coleman, Ty 1 ; Kelly, P. 1
RBI: Coleman, Ty 3 ; Carter, D. 1
SH: Murrell, E. 1
SF: Coleman, Ty 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Murrell, E. 1 ; Stilwell, C. 2 ; Coleman, Ty 1 ; Kelly, P. 1
HBP: Murrell, E. 1 ; Stilwell, C. 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
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1
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2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP
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/ Baseball
RHP
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INF/OF
/ BaseballOF
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C
/ Baseball
INF
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OF/LHP
/ Baseball
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