Kansas State University Athletics
Saturday, May 6
Manhattan, KS
4 p.m.
Kansas State University
30-18
12
vs
5
Southeast Missouri State
26-22
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Southeast Mo. St.
0
0
0
2
0
3
0
0
0
5
8
2
Kansas State
0
5
0
1
3
2
0
1
X
12
11
0
Cats Win Ninth Series Behind Four Homers
May 06, 2023 | Baseball
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Brendan Jones' second inning grand slam set the standard of game two as K-State defeated Southeast Missouri State, 12-5, to clinch the ninth series of the season on Saturday inside Tointon Family Stadium.
"Today was important," said head coach Pete Hughes. "Every win down the home stretch helps build our resume especially against a really good team that is likely to win their conference and make the [NCAA] tournament."
The Cats (30-18) set the tone in the program's third matchup against the Redhawks (26-22) and never looked back as Brendan Jones drilled the team's sixth grand slam of the season to jump out to a 5-0 lead.
"We've been struggling the past couple of games offensively, but that big two-strike grand slam from Brendan was just a big sigh of relief from the dugout, I could feel it," Hughes said. "All the at bats after that were really relaxed and our approach just completely changed,"
Three Wildcats sent one out in the victory with Jones, Kaelen Culpepper and Roberto Pena who recorded his second multi-homer game of the year. The four homers brought the season total to 66 which ranks fourth all-time in school history.
Pena became just the third player since 1997 to have a 15-plus home run season joining former Wildcats Dylan Phillips and Zach Kokoska each in 2021.
"We got a big hit early that helped get our bats going and that's what I wanted us to get out of this weekend is to get our offense going down the stretch here. It's the team that gets hot and stays healthy is the one who can really make a run and usually your offense is what gets you going."
German Fajardo (3-2) received his seventh career victory on the hill as the junior allowed five earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts during his six innings.
"It's a complete 180," Hughes commented on Fajardo's improvement from the previous season. "He can handle adversity and makes adjustments pitch-to-pitch. The moment's never too big for him. He's really become a complete pitcher and complete competitor for us this year.
Ty Ruhl and Kyler Heyne combined for three shutout innings with three strikeouts from Ruhl who retired the side in the seventh and eighth.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Peyton Leeper attempted the put SEMO on the board early after doubling to left but was left stranded as the Cats defense immediately set down the Redhawks in order.
K-State scored five runs in the bottom of the second to take control of the game led by Brendan Jones first collegiate grand slam. Cash Rugely led off the scoring surge with the senior's first hit of the series before coming around on back-to-back hits from Raphael Pelletier and Cole Johnson.
A hit by pitch loaded the bases with one out to bring Jones up to the plate. Jones fought his way to a 2-2 count before clearing the bases when he unloaded on the eighth pitch, sending his sixth career homer 367-feet over the left field wall.
SEMO snapped the shutout in the fourth with back-to-back homers by Lincoln Andrews and Leeper.
Roberto Pena returned the favor with his own solo shot to right to make it 6-2 in the bottom of the inning.
The Cats plated three runs in the fifth to stretch their lead out to seven, 9-2, led by a triple from Brady Day who extended his hit streak out to eight.
Leeper trimmed the lead to four with a three-run bomb in the next inning but the damage was done as the Cats plated another three runs with the help of homers by Culpepper and Pena.
INSIDE THE BOX
The Cats will wrap up non-conference play on Sunday in the final game of the three-game set scheduled for 1 p.m. at Tointon Family Stadium. The game will be streamed on the Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app with radio coverage on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM). Live streaming audio is available for all games at kstatesports.com/watch and the K-State Sports app.
"Today was important," said head coach Pete Hughes. "Every win down the home stretch helps build our resume especially against a really good team that is likely to win their conference and make the [NCAA] tournament."
The Cats (30-18) set the tone in the program's third matchup against the Redhawks (26-22) and never looked back as Brendan Jones drilled the team's sixth grand slam of the season to jump out to a 5-0 lead.
"We've been struggling the past couple of games offensively, but that big two-strike grand slam from Brendan was just a big sigh of relief from the dugout, I could feel it," Hughes said. "All the at bats after that were really relaxed and our approach just completely changed,"
Three Wildcats sent one out in the victory with Jones, Kaelen Culpepper and Roberto Pena who recorded his second multi-homer game of the year. The four homers brought the season total to 66 which ranks fourth all-time in school history.
Pena became just the third player since 1997 to have a 15-plus home run season joining former Wildcats Dylan Phillips and Zach Kokoska each in 2021.
"We got a big hit early that helped get our bats going and that's what I wanted us to get out of this weekend is to get our offense going down the stretch here. It's the team that gets hot and stays healthy is the one who can really make a run and usually your offense is what gets you going."
German Fajardo (3-2) received his seventh career victory on the hill as the junior allowed five earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts during his six innings.
"It's a complete 180," Hughes commented on Fajardo's improvement from the previous season. "He can handle adversity and makes adjustments pitch-to-pitch. The moment's never too big for him. He's really become a complete pitcher and complete competitor for us this year.
Ty Ruhl and Kyler Heyne combined for three shutout innings with three strikeouts from Ruhl who retired the side in the seventh and eighth.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Peyton Leeper attempted the put SEMO on the board early after doubling to left but was left stranded as the Cats defense immediately set down the Redhawks in order.
K-State scored five runs in the bottom of the second to take control of the game led by Brendan Jones first collegiate grand slam. Cash Rugely led off the scoring surge with the senior's first hit of the series before coming around on back-to-back hits from Raphael Pelletier and Cole Johnson.
A hit by pitch loaded the bases with one out to bring Jones up to the plate. Jones fought his way to a 2-2 count before clearing the bases when he unloaded on the eighth pitch, sending his sixth career homer 367-feet over the left field wall.
SEMO snapped the shutout in the fourth with back-to-back homers by Lincoln Andrews and Leeper.
Roberto Pena returned the favor with his own solo shot to right to make it 6-2 in the bottom of the inning.
The Cats plated three runs in the fifth to stretch their lead out to seven, 9-2, led by a triple from Brady Day who extended his hit streak out to eight.
Leeper trimmed the lead to four with a three-run bomb in the next inning but the damage was done as the Cats plated another three runs with the help of homers by Culpepper and Pena.
INSIDE THE BOX
- K-State scored 12 runs on 11 hits with no errors and six runners left on bas
- Jones hit the Cats sixth grand slam of the season
- Pena homered in his second straight game
- Pena recorded his second multi-homer game of the season
- All nine players from the starting lineup recorded a hit; two with multiple
- Culpepper and Pena each had two hits
- Jones matched a career-high four RBI
- Fajardo was rewarded the victory to move to 3-2
- The bullpen combined for three shutout innings, three strikeouts and one walk
- SEMO scored five runs on eight hits with two errors and three runners left on base
- Hernandez (2-2) received the loss
- SEMO sent seven pitchers to the mound
- Wildcats reach 30-wins for the first time since 2021
- Cats drew their 300th walk of the season; ties seventh all-time
- K-State's three stolen-bases brings the season total to 101
- Hughes recorded his 780th career victory
- Victory marks the programs 17th 30+ win season
- K-State won its ninth series of the season
- Cats posted their 15th multi-home run game
- K-State grabbed a 2-1 lead in the all-time series
- Rugely extended his on-base streak to 30 straight games followed by Day (28)
- Day pushed his hit streak out to eight
- The Cats moved to 17-6 at home this season
- K-State is the fifth program from the Big 12 to reach 30 wins
- Pena is one of three players to hit 15 homers in a single season since 1997; joins Dylan Phillips and Zach Kokoska each in 2021
The Cats will wrap up non-conference play on Sunday in the final game of the three-game set scheduled for 1 p.m. at Tointon Family Stadium. The game will be streamed on the Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app with radio coverage on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM). Live streaming audio is available for all games at kstatesports.com/watch and the K-State Sports app.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Fajardo, German (3-2)
L: HERNANDEZ, Esteban (2-2)
Batting:
2B: LEEPER, Peyton 1
HR: ANDREWS, Lincoln 1 ; LEEPER, Peyton 2
RBI: ANDREWS, Lincoln 1 ; LEEPER, Peyton 4
Base Running:
RUNS: RESETICH, Chance 1 ; CAMERON, Josh 1 ; ANDREWS, Lincoln 1 ; LEEPER, Peyton 2
Batting:
2B: Goodwin, Nick 1 ; Johnson, Cole 1
3B: Day, Brady 1
HR: Jones, Brendan 1 ; Culpepper, Kaelen 1 ; Pena, Roberto 2
RBI: Jones, Brendan 4 ; Culpepper, Kaelen 2 ; Day, Brady 1 ; Rugely, Cash 1 ; Pelletier, Raphael 1 ; Johnson, Cole 1 ; Pena, Roberto 2
SF: Culpepper, Kaelen 1 ; Pelletier, Raphael 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jones, Brendan 1 ; Culpepper, Kaelen 2 ; Day, Brady 1 ; Goodwin, Nick 1 ; Rugely, Cash 1 ; Pelletier, Raphael 1 ; Johnson, Cole 1 ; Pena, Roberto 4
SB: Hughes, Dom 1 ; Goodwin, Nick 1 ; Pena, Roberto 1
HBP: Hughes, Dom 1 ; Pena, Roberto 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
2
R
4
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
4
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
C
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
OF/LHP
/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ Baseball
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