Kansas State University Athletics
Sunday, February 18
Scottsdale, Ariz.
1 p.m.
Kansas State University
2-1
7
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6
Georgetown
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6
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8
9
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H
E
Georgetown
0
1
0
0
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0
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6
6
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Kansas State
2
0
0
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2
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0
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X
7
9
1
Three Homers Help No. 24 K-State Fend Off Georgetown, 7-6
Feb 18, 2024 | Baseball
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – K-State fended off Georgetown Sunday afternoon after three home runs and a three-run eighth inning fueled a 7-6 win in the final game of the MLB Desert Invitational at Sloan Park.
No. 24 K-State, which finished opening weekend 2-1, turned in three home runs by veterans Kaelen Culpepper, Brendan Jones, and Chuck Ingram. Jones' two-run home run broke a 4-4 tie after Georgetown (0-3) scored a pair of runs in the top of the sixth to even the score. Ingram immediately followed up with the go-ahead solo shot to capture the Cats' second win of 2024.
In his second outing of the season, Jackson Wentworth (1-0) picked up the win in relief after the redshirt sophomore left the Hoyas scoreless over 2 1/3 scoreless innings without allowing a hit or walk.
Starter Jacob Frost scattered just three hits with a pair of runs (one earned) over his five innings of work in his K-State debut. The junior left-hander struck out four and issued three walks, while consensus All-American Tyson Neighbors made his season debut with a pair of strikeouts in the final frame to earn the save.
"Love watching our guys excel in tight matchups," said sixth-year head coach Pete Hughes. "Jacob battled through his start, showing real grit, while Jackson showcased pure dominance on the mound. Thrilled to have Tyson back in the mix. Our veteran players Culpepper, Jones, and Ingram unleashed some big hits, reminding everyone of their power and skill."
Georgetown's second baseman Josh Rolling led his team by going 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored.
Five Hoyas made an appearance on the mound with starter Everett Catlett allowing four earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts and four walks in 4 1/3 innings. Reliever Cody Jensen (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing one earned run over 1/3 inning.
THE RUNDOWN
After a 1-2-3 inning behind Frost, K-State opened scoring with a two-out home run from Culpepper as the junior from Memphis, Tenn., sent his first homer of the season and 16th career out into center field.
Brady Day followed with a triple into left field before coming across the plate on a rope into left center by Jayden Lobliner to double the Cats lead.
Georgetown trimmed K-State's lead to one in the second before tying the game, 2-2, with an RBI single in the fifth. The Wildcats responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame to take back the lead.
Georgetown plated two runs in the top of the sixth to level the score once more. With a runner on first, Wentworth took over for Preston Martinez and went to work in relief.
Tied 4-4, a runner on second, and two outs, Jones turned on the second pitch he faced from Jordan Yoder and launched his second homer of the weekend to grab a two-run lead, 6-4. The blast marked the ninth of the junior's career.
The aerial assault continued as Ingram immediately followed Jones with his go-ahead solo shot – the first of his career with K-State – nearly landing in the same spot.
Leading 7-4 headed into the bottom of the ninth, K-State turned to its bullpen and called on Neighbors. Georgetown brought the game within one with a two-run blast from Rolling, but the Cats' Preseason All-American settled in and punched out the final batter in three pitches to earn his 12th career save.
INSIDE THE BOX
The Wildcats wrap up their Arizona trip Tuesday with the seventh meeting against Arizona State (2-1) at Phoenix Municipal Stadium in Phoenix, Ariz. First Pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m. Fans can watch on Pac-12 Network and listen K-StateSports.com/watch and 1350kman.com.
How to follow the 'Cats: Stay up to date on K-State baseball online at www.kstatesports.com and on the team's social media channels on Facebook, X formally known as Twitter and Instagram.
No. 24 K-State, which finished opening weekend 2-1, turned in three home runs by veterans Kaelen Culpepper, Brendan Jones, and Chuck Ingram. Jones' two-run home run broke a 4-4 tie after Georgetown (0-3) scored a pair of runs in the top of the sixth to even the score. Ingram immediately followed up with the go-ahead solo shot to capture the Cats' second win of 2024.
In his second outing of the season, Jackson Wentworth (1-0) picked up the win in relief after the redshirt sophomore left the Hoyas scoreless over 2 1/3 scoreless innings without allowing a hit or walk.
Starter Jacob Frost scattered just three hits with a pair of runs (one earned) over his five innings of work in his K-State debut. The junior left-hander struck out four and issued three walks, while consensus All-American Tyson Neighbors made his season debut with a pair of strikeouts in the final frame to earn the save.
"Love watching our guys excel in tight matchups," said sixth-year head coach Pete Hughes. "Jacob battled through his start, showing real grit, while Jackson showcased pure dominance on the mound. Thrilled to have Tyson back in the mix. Our veteran players Culpepper, Jones, and Ingram unleashed some big hits, reminding everyone of their power and skill."
Georgetown's second baseman Josh Rolling led his team by going 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored.
Five Hoyas made an appearance on the mound with starter Everett Catlett allowing four earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts and four walks in 4 1/3 innings. Reliever Cody Jensen (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing one earned run over 1/3 inning.
THE RUNDOWN
After a 1-2-3 inning behind Frost, K-State opened scoring with a two-out home run from Culpepper as the junior from Memphis, Tenn., sent his first homer of the season and 16th career out into center field.
Brady Day followed with a triple into left field before coming across the plate on a rope into left center by Jayden Lobliner to double the Cats lead.
Georgetown trimmed K-State's lead to one in the second before tying the game, 2-2, with an RBI single in the fifth. The Wildcats responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame to take back the lead.
Georgetown plated two runs in the top of the sixth to level the score once more. With a runner on first, Wentworth took over for Preston Martinez and went to work in relief.
Tied 4-4, a runner on second, and two outs, Jones turned on the second pitch he faced from Jordan Yoder and launched his second homer of the weekend to grab a two-run lead, 6-4. The blast marked the ninth of the junior's career.
The aerial assault continued as Ingram immediately followed Jones with his go-ahead solo shot – the first of his career with K-State – nearly landing in the same spot.
Leading 7-4 headed into the bottom of the ninth, K-State turned to its bullpen and called on Neighbors. Georgetown brought the game within one with a two-run blast from Rolling, but the Cats' Preseason All-American settled in and punched out the final batter in three pitches to earn his 12th career save.
INSIDE THE BOX
- K-State plated seven runs on nine hits with one error committed and eight runners left stranded.
- Georgetown scored six runs on six hits with no errors and six left on base.
- Jones, Ingram, Day and Lobliner all had two-hit days.
- Five of seven runs were driven in with two outs.
- Day and Lobliner went 2-for-3 at the plate.
- Jones and Ingram each drove in a pair of runs.
- Frost went five innings, surrendering two runs (one earned) on three hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
- Five of eight leadoffs reached base for K-State.
- Five of K-State's seven runs came with two outs.
- K-State hit .211 (4-for-19) with runners on base and .300 (3-for-10) with runners in scoring position.
- Georgetown hit .333 with runners on (5-for-15) and runners in scoring position (2-for-6).
- Wentworth struck out two during 2 1/3 innings in relief.
- K-State hit .429 (6-for-14) in two out situations while BC was hitless, going 0-for-7.
- Three Wildcats came out of the bullpen for K-State.
- Neighbors struck out two of four batters faced in ninth to earn save.
- K-State picked up the first-ever meeting against Georgetown.
- Wildcats are 71-47-1 against teams from the Big East.
- K-State hit back-to-back home runs for the first time since April 1, 2023 (Dom Hughes, Nick Goodwin)
- Culpepper stretched his on-bast streak to 10, dating back to last season.
- Jones and Culpepper extended their hitting streaks out to six going back to last year.
- Neighbors earned his 12th career save, ties fifth all-time in school history.
- First multi-home run game since May 18, 2023 (TCU), and first three-home run game since May 13, 2023 (Oklahoma State)
The Wildcats wrap up their Arizona trip Tuesday with the seventh meeting against Arizona State (2-1) at Phoenix Municipal Stadium in Phoenix, Ariz. First Pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m. Fans can watch on Pac-12 Network and listen K-StateSports.com/watch and 1350kman.com.
How to follow the 'Cats: Stay up to date on K-State baseball online at www.kstatesports.com and on the team's social media channels on Facebook, X formally known as Twitter and Instagram.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wentworth, Jackson (1-0)
L: Cody Jensen (0-1)
S: Neighbors, Tyson (1)
Batting:
2B: Christian Ficca 1
HR: Joe Hollerbach 1 ; Josh Rolling 1
RBI: Jake Hyde 1 ; Joe Hollerbach 1 ; Marco Castillo 1 ; Josh Rolling 3
SF: Marco Castillo 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Derek Smith 1 ; Joe Hollerbach 2 ; Christian Ficca 1 ; Andrew Bergeron 1 ; Josh Rolling 1
CS: Michael Eze 1
HBP: Joe Hollerbach 1 ; Christian Ficca 1
PO: Michael Eze 1
Batting:
3B: Jones, Brendan 1 ; Day, Brady 1
HR: Jones, Brendan 1 ; Ingram, Chuck 1 ; Culpepper, Kaelen 1
RBI: Jones, Brendan 2 ; Ingram, Chuck 1 ; Culpepper, Kaelen 2 ; Day, Brady 1 ; Lobliner, Jayden 1
SH: Pelletier, Raphael 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jones, Brendan 2 ; Ingram, Chuck 2 ; Culpepper, Kaelen 1 ; Day, Brady 1 ; Lodice, Kyan 1
CS: Day, Brady 1
HBP: Lobliner, Jayden 1
PO: Day, Brady 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
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4
R
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H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF
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LHP
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INF
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OF
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RHP
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RHP
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