Kansas State University Athletics
Sunday, May 8
Manhattan, Kan.
1 p.m.
Kansas State University
25-22, 6-12
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Kansas
20-29, 4-14
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K-State
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1
Cats Mash Past Jayhawks to Take Sunflower Showdown
May 08, 2022 | Baseball
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Three home runs from the K-State offense, including a go-ahead blast from Nick Goodwin in the seventh inning, along with 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief from Ty Ruhl led the Wildcats to a 6-3 victory over Kansas in the rubber game of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown Sunday afternoon at Tointon Family Stadium.
Trailing 3-1 after five innings, K-State (25-22, 6-12 Big 12) tallied three consecutive two-out hits in the sixth to tie the game. Dylan Phillips lifted a high fly ball into center field in what looked to be the final out of the inning, only to see KU center fielder Sergio Rivera lose the ball in the cloudy sky. Brady Day and Jeff Heinrich, who had each singled, sprinted home while Phillips was able to reach second base.
Goodwin broke the tie an inning later, launching the second pitch from KU starter Ryan Vanderhei over the left-field fence. Three batters later, Kaelen Culpepper punctuated the three-run inning with a two-run homer, capping a stretch of five unanswered runs.
"Leading off the inning, Coach gave me the green light to swing early in the count and I was just looking for a pitch out over the plate I could do some damage with," Goodwin said of his go-ahead homer. "I got the pitch that I wanted and didn't miss it.
"Going up for my third at-bat, I felt I was seeing him pretty well, so I was just looking for that pitch in the right spot."
"We set out a goal to beat KU this year, it was important to us," said head coach Pete Hughes. "I was proud of our guys this weekend; you have to bounce back after a disappointing loss on Friday. You bounce back Saturday and then you come from behind on Sunday for the series clincher, and you grind out that win. What a rewarding weekend for our program and for our guys."
Ruhl entered the game for starter Connor McCullough in the fifth inning with a runner on third and one out after KU (20-29, 4-14 Big 12) scored twice to take its 3-1 advantage. Ruhl struck out Payton Allen before inducing an inning-ending groundout from Maui Ahuna to keep it a two-run ballgame.
"He got the game ball," Hughes said of Ruhl. "He picked up a teammate, Connor wasn't feeling great and didn't have his best stuff. It gave them a different look, I put him I there in a big spot. That is damage control, he punched the guy out with a runner on third. He made big pitches in big situations and really stopped their momentum, that thing could've gone south quick. He was just awesome, he executed his pitches and slowed the game down every single inning."
Ruhl went on to log a career-long outing, as he struck out four and scattered four hits in his 4 2/3 innings. The redshirt freshman right-hander worked around leadoff doubles in both the seventh and eighth innings, stranding what would have been the go-ahead run on third in the seventh.
In the start, McCullough was responsible for three earned runs on seven hits while striking out four. McCullough and Ruhl combined to strike out eight without issuing a walk. Additionally, the duo limited the Jayhawks to one hit with two outs (1-for-9).
Jeff Heinrich jump started the Wildcats' offense with a two-out solo home run in the first, marking the third straight game in which K-State hit a home run in the game's initial inning.
After Heinrich's 10th home run of the season and second in the series, Vanderhei retired eight Cats in a row until Heinrich singled in the fourth.
Heinrich ended the afternoon 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
Kansas tied the game in the top of the second inning on a single by Jack Hammond before taking a 3-1 lead in the fifth.
Tom Lichty and Jake English each singled to begin the frame. Lichty came around to score on an RBI double from Rivera and English trotted home on a sacrifice fly by Tavian Josenberger, which ended the day for McCullough.
English turned in a 4-for-4 effort to lead the Jayhawks.
Vanderhei was tagged for eight hits, allowing six earned runs over his 6 1/3 innings of work. Six of the eight hits he allowed came in the sixth and seventh innings.
K-State drove in three runs with two outs, ending the day 4-for-11 with two gone while going 3-for-9 with runners on base.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
For the third straight day, K-State hit a first-inning home run, this one coming from Heinrich. Heinrich's second bomb of the series gave the Cats' a 1-0 lead after an inning.
After McCullough put down KU in order in the first, Kansas answered K-State's run with one of its own on three hits in the second. Metcalf led off with a double and scored on a single from Hammond. McCullough stranded two on base with an inning-ending groundout.
Three straight hits greeted McCullough in the fifth, as the Jayhawks scored two in the inning to take a 3-1 lead. Rivera doubled to cap the string of three consecutive hits while Josenberger lifted a sacrifice fly, which ended McCullough's outing.
Ruhl entered the game with one out and a runner on third, escaping further damage by striking out Allen and inducing a threat-ending groundout from Ahuna.
After two quick outs in the sixth, Day and Heinrich recorded back-to-back singles. Phillips drove them both in with a double to center field to even the score at 3-3.
Ruhl worked around leadoff double in both the seventh and eighth innings, retiring the next three batters in each frame. He stranded English at third base, who represented the go-ahead run, in the seventh and left Ahuna at second in the eighth.
Goodwin led off the home seventh with a go-ahead homer to left field on the second pitch of the inning from Vanderhei. Three batters later and with Johnson standing on first following a single, Culpepper launched a 1-0 pitch over the wall in left-center field to punctuate the stretch of five unanswered runs.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
UP NEXT
K-State's final home series starts Friday at 6 p.m. against Baylor at Tointon Family Stadium. The three-game series can be seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and with radio coverage on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM). Free, live audio is also available at K-StateSports.com/Watch.
Trailing 3-1 after five innings, K-State (25-22, 6-12 Big 12) tallied three consecutive two-out hits in the sixth to tie the game. Dylan Phillips lifted a high fly ball into center field in what looked to be the final out of the inning, only to see KU center fielder Sergio Rivera lose the ball in the cloudy sky. Brady Day and Jeff Heinrich, who had each singled, sprinted home while Phillips was able to reach second base.
Goodwin broke the tie an inning later, launching the second pitch from KU starter Ryan Vanderhei over the left-field fence. Three batters later, Kaelen Culpepper punctuated the three-run inning with a two-run homer, capping a stretch of five unanswered runs.
"Leading off the inning, Coach gave me the green light to swing early in the count and I was just looking for a pitch out over the plate I could do some damage with," Goodwin said of his go-ahead homer. "I got the pitch that I wanted and didn't miss it.
"Going up for my third at-bat, I felt I was seeing him pretty well, so I was just looking for that pitch in the right spot."
"We set out a goal to beat KU this year, it was important to us," said head coach Pete Hughes. "I was proud of our guys this weekend; you have to bounce back after a disappointing loss on Friday. You bounce back Saturday and then you come from behind on Sunday for the series clincher, and you grind out that win. What a rewarding weekend for our program and for our guys."
Ruhl entered the game for starter Connor McCullough in the fifth inning with a runner on third and one out after KU (20-29, 4-14 Big 12) scored twice to take its 3-1 advantage. Ruhl struck out Payton Allen before inducing an inning-ending groundout from Maui Ahuna to keep it a two-run ballgame.
"He got the game ball," Hughes said of Ruhl. "He picked up a teammate, Connor wasn't feeling great and didn't have his best stuff. It gave them a different look, I put him I there in a big spot. That is damage control, he punched the guy out with a runner on third. He made big pitches in big situations and really stopped their momentum, that thing could've gone south quick. He was just awesome, he executed his pitches and slowed the game down every single inning."
Ruhl went on to log a career-long outing, as he struck out four and scattered four hits in his 4 2/3 innings. The redshirt freshman right-hander worked around leadoff doubles in both the seventh and eighth innings, stranding what would have been the go-ahead run on third in the seventh.
In the start, McCullough was responsible for three earned runs on seven hits while striking out four. McCullough and Ruhl combined to strike out eight without issuing a walk. Additionally, the duo limited the Jayhawks to one hit with two outs (1-for-9).
Jeff Heinrich jump started the Wildcats' offense with a two-out solo home run in the first, marking the third straight game in which K-State hit a home run in the game's initial inning.
After Heinrich's 10th home run of the season and second in the series, Vanderhei retired eight Cats in a row until Heinrich singled in the fourth.
Heinrich ended the afternoon 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
Kansas tied the game in the top of the second inning on a single by Jack Hammond before taking a 3-1 lead in the fifth.
Tom Lichty and Jake English each singled to begin the frame. Lichty came around to score on an RBI double from Rivera and English trotted home on a sacrifice fly by Tavian Josenberger, which ended the day for McCullough.
English turned in a 4-for-4 effort to lead the Jayhawks.
Vanderhei was tagged for eight hits, allowing six earned runs over his 6 1/3 innings of work. Six of the eight hits he allowed came in the sixth and seventh innings.
K-State drove in three runs with two outs, ending the day 4-for-11 with two gone while going 3-for-9 with runners on base.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
For the third straight day, K-State hit a first-inning home run, this one coming from Heinrich. Heinrich's second bomb of the series gave the Cats' a 1-0 lead after an inning.
After McCullough put down KU in order in the first, Kansas answered K-State's run with one of its own on three hits in the second. Metcalf led off with a double and scored on a single from Hammond. McCullough stranded two on base with an inning-ending groundout.
Three straight hits greeted McCullough in the fifth, as the Jayhawks scored two in the inning to take a 3-1 lead. Rivera doubled to cap the string of three consecutive hits while Josenberger lifted a sacrifice fly, which ended McCullough's outing.
Ruhl entered the game with one out and a runner on third, escaping further damage by striking out Allen and inducing a threat-ending groundout from Ahuna.
After two quick outs in the sixth, Day and Heinrich recorded back-to-back singles. Phillips drove them both in with a double to center field to even the score at 3-3.
Ruhl worked around leadoff double in both the seventh and eighth innings, retiring the next three batters in each frame. He stranded English at third base, who represented the go-ahead run, in the seventh and left Ahuna at second in the eighth.
Goodwin led off the home seventh with a go-ahead homer to left field on the second pitch of the inning from Vanderhei. Three batters later and with Johnson standing on first following a single, Culpepper launched a 1-0 pitch over the wall in left-center field to punctuate the stretch of five unanswered runs.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- K-State scored six runs on eight hits with one error and left two on base.
- KU scored three runs on 11 hits, committed no errors and stranded seven baserunners.
- K-State hit three home runs for the third straight game, one by Culpepper, Goodwin and Heinrich.
- The Cats hit a solo home run in the first inning in each game of the series.
- Heinrich led the Wildcats with a 3-for-4 day.
- Goodwin's solo homer in the seventh broke a 3-3 tie.
- Phillips doubled and drove in two while Culpepper's home run was a two-run shot.
- Four of the Cats' eight hits went for extra bases.
- Ruhl tossed 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the win, scattering four hits to go with four strikeouts.
- McCullough and Ruhl combined to strike out eight without a walk.
- McCullough allowed three earned runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings in the start.
- English led KU with a 4-for-4 effort while Metcalf ended 2-for-4.
- Vanderhei surrendered eight hits with six earned runs over 6 1/3 innings.
- Six of the eight hits allowed by Vanderhei came in the sixth and seventh innings.
- Kansas went 1-for-9 with two outs and 4-for-22 with runners on base.
- K-State finished 4-for-11 with two outs and 3-for-9 with runners on base.
- K-State leads the Dillons Sunflower Showdown 183-177-1 (43-31 Big 12), dating back to 1897.
- K-State is 105-82-1 at home, as this was the first Dillons Sunflower Showdown at Tointon Family Stadium since 2018.
- The series win marked the Wildcats' first over Kansas since 2018.
- The Cats are now 19-6 at home and have won 10 of the last 13 at Tointon Family Stadium.
- In the three-game series, K-State hit nine home runs – three in each contest – by six different players.
- Ten of the Wildcats' 14 runs scored came via the long ball (eight solo homers, one two-run home run).
- The Wildcats have hit multiple home runs 23 times this season (16-7).
- Fifty-six of K-State's 74 home runs have come at home.
- The 74 homers are good for third-most in a single season in program history and one behind second-most (1997).
- Three Wildcats have reached double-digit home runs on the season: Phillips (12), Heinrich (10), Dominic Johnson (10).
UP NEXT
K-State's final home series starts Friday at 6 p.m. against Baylor at Tointon Family Stadium. The three-game series can be seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and 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 (3-2)
L: Vanderhei, Ryan (5-5)
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Batting:
2B: Ahuna, Maui 1 ; Metcalf, Nolan 1 ; English, Jake 1 ; Rivera, Sergio 1
RBI: Josenberger, Tavian 1 ; Rivera, Sergio 1
SF: Josenberger, Tavian 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Metcalf, Nolan 1 ; Lichty, Tom 1 ; English, Jake 1
SB: Lichty, Tom 1
Batting:
2B: Phillips, Dylan 1
HR: Heinrich, Jeff 1 ; Goodwin, Nick 1 ; Culpepper, Kaelen 1
RBI: Heinrich, Jeff 1 ; Phillips, Dylan 2 ; Goodwin, Nick 1 ; Culpepper, Kaelen 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Day, Brady 1 ; Heinrich, Jeff 2 ; Goodwin, Nick 1 ; Johnson, Cole 1 ; Culpepper, Kaelen 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballOF/LHP
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