Kansas State University Athletics
K-State Walks Off in 12 Innings for Series-Clinching Victory
Mar 10, 2024 | Baseball
"That was a heck of a team win, and a heck of a character win to close out a series," head coach Pete Hughes said following the Cats walk-off win. "It shows a lot about what our program and our guys are all about. They don't give up, they put their head down and it's on to the next pitch or to the next at bat."
K-State (9-6, 2-1 Big 12) came from behind three times in the win, including a game-tying home run by Kyan Lodice to send the game into extras. With the Bearcats (9-7, 1-2 Big 12) leading 13-11 going into the bottom of the 12th, Brendan Jones belted a two-run dinger into right center to tie the score.
Kaelen Culpepper walked and advanced to third on wild pitch and grounder to the mound before scoring on English's game-winning hit to right field.
"We had a lot of contributors. Really proud of Mason Buss and Kyan Lodice who haven't had the great seasons they thought they were going to have but stayed in the right team frame of mind to deliver for a team win today. So really proud happy for those guys. Like I said a lot of major contributors today and nice to win a series," said Hughes.
Eight Wildcats contributed hits in the victory, including five multi-hit efforts from in the top of the Cats' lineup. The first five spots in order combined to hit .467 (14-for-30) with 10 RBI and 11 runs.
Right-hander Andrew Evans (2-1) picked up his second victory of the season, throwing the game's final inning and struck out three while allowing two earned runs on a two-run homer in the 12th. Mason Buss tossed four scoreless innings in his fourth outing of the season and scattered just two hits with three strikeouts to keep the Wildcats alive.
The Wildcats last won an Big 12 opening series in 2013, defeating West Virginia 2-1 at home.
THE RUNDOWN
Cincinnati sent nine to the plate in the opening frame, scoring four runs on five hits.
K-State answered with four runs of its own in the home half, led by Day's two-run homer.
After back-and-forth action, UC took a 11-7 lead to head into eighth inning.
Raphael Pelletier and Danniel Rivera each singled to force the Bearcats to refer to the bullpen for the third time of the game. A hit to the infield by Chuck Ingram loaded the bases until a sacrifice fly from Jones led off the Cats three-run rally.
Trailing 11-10, Lodice led off with his first homer of the season to even the score but the Bearcats retired three straight to send the game into extras.
The score remained tied 11-11 until the top of the 12th when Cincinnati manufactured a two-run lead with a home run by shortstop Kamryn Guidry.
With one out and tied 13-13, English lined a single down the right field line to score Culpepper from third for the game-winning run.
INSIDE THE BOX
- K-State scored 14 runs on 19 hits with no errors committed and 10 left on base.
- Cincinnati scored 13 runs with 20 hits, two errors committed, and 12 men left stranded.
- Eight Wildcats contributed a hit with four recording three-hit days.
- Five pitchers were utilized in the win, combining for 11 strikeouts.
- Evans was awarded the victory in his one inning in relief, surrendering two runs (two earned).
- Day recorded his team-leading home run in the first (5).
- Jones and Day led the team with three RBI each.
- Day, Ingram, Lodice and Jones each homered in the win.
- Guidry had a game-high five RBI for UC with three hits.
- K-State went 8-for-30 (.267) with men on base and 8-for-15 (.533) in scoring position.
- UC hit .400 (12-for-30) with runners on base and .333 (6-for-18) in scoring position.
- K-State was 6-for-16 (.375) with two outs, including four, two-out RBI while UC was 7-for-18 (.389) with two outs.
- K-State leads the all-time series 2-1.
- The win marked the first Big 12 opening series victory since 2013 (West Virginia, 2-1)
- K-State won its third straight series of the season.
- The Cats turned in their eighth multi-home run game of the season.
- It is the first four-run home run game of the season, and first since April 16, 2023 (at KU, 21-18)
- The Wildcats moved to 7-2 at home.
- Jones leads the league with 21 walks.
K-State will be back in action Wednesday afternoon to take on South Dakota State (7-9) in game one of a two-part season series with game time slated for 3 p.m. at Tointon Family Stadium. The midweek game can be seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app, while radio coverage is available on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM). A free live streaming audio available for all games at KStateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app.
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: Evans, Andrew (2-1)
L: Coulter, Bradley (1-1)
Batting:
3B: Cross, Kerrington 1
HR: Guidry, Kameron 2
RBI: Cross, Kerrington 1 ; Sefcik, Luke 1 ; Kross, Josh 2 ; Brooks, Lauden 1 ; Guidry, Kameron 5 ; Jessee, Hunter 2 ; Jones, Alec 1
SF: Sefcik, Luke 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cross, Kerrington 2 ; Kross, Josh 1 ; Brooks, Lauden 1 ; Hegemann, Josh 3 ; Guidry, Kameron 3 ; Jessee, Hunter 1 ; Jones, Alec 1 ; Pearson, Dalton 1
SB: Cross, Kerrington 1 ; Jessee, Hunter 1 ; Jones, Alec 1
CS: Hegemann, Josh 1
HBP: Kross, Josh 1 ; Brooks, Lauden 1

Batting:
2B: Jones, Brendan 1 ; English, Nick 2
HR: Ingram, Chuck 1 ; Jones, Brendan 1 ; Day, Brady 1 ; Lodice, Kyan 1
RBI: Ingram, Chuck 1 ; Jones, Brendan 3 ; Culpepper, Kaelen 1 ; Day, Brady 3 ; English, Nick 2 ; Lodice, Kyan 1 ; Lobliner, Jayden 1
SF: Jones, Brendan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ingram, Chuck 4 ; Jones, Brendan 3 ; Culpepper, Kaelen 2 ; Day, Brady 1 ; English, Nick 1 ; Lodice, Kyan 1 ; Pelletier, Raphael 1 ; Rivera, Danniel 1
SB: Parsons, Jaden 1















