K-State Overwhelms Young WVU Bullpen to Take Series

Growing pains continue as K-State powers past West Virginia 9-4

The West Virginia Mountaineer baseball team dropped their fourth straight Big 12 Conference series Sunday afternoon after falling 9-4 to the Kansas State Wildcats. The Mountaineers held a 4-3 advantage going into the sixth, but the Wildcats put up six runs in three innings to run away with game three.

Leadoff hitter Tyler Doanes drew a walk to start the game, stole second, and took third on a wild pitch. Hudson Byorick worked a one-out walk, placing runners at the corners before Matt McCormick went opposite field and delivered a line drive that skipped to the wall for an RBI double, giving the Mountaineers the early 1-0 advantage.

Kansas State freshman Nick Goodwin tied the game in the bottom of the inning with a solo home run well over the left field wall.

West Virginia regained the lead in the third when Byorick poked a one-out single just inside the right field foul line, and McCormick followed with a hard-hit single through the right side, and Paul McIntosh worked a walk to load the bases. Then, Vincent Ippoliti hit a high chopper to short, scored Byorick, and reached on a fielder’s choice before Kevin Brophy flared an RBI single into left field as the Mountaineers took a 3-1 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, Zach Kokoska hit a leadoff single, then with two outs, Kamron Willman cranked a two-run home run to tie the game at three.

Hudson Byorick worked a leadoff walk in the fifth and advanced to second after McCormick hit a high bouncing ground ball over to short, and on the toss to second, Willman dropped, leaving the runners on first and second. McIntosh hit into a double play, but Byorick moved over to third and took home on a wild pitch, giving the Mountaineers a 4-3 advantage.

After the Mountaineers left runners stranded on second and third in the top of the sixth, freshman starting pitcher Ben Hampton found himself in trouble in the bottom of the inning. He gave up a walk and a single to begin the inning, putting runners at the corners before head coach Randy Mazey called on freshman Carlson Reed. 

A pitchout caught Kokoska stealing second, and Reed struck out Terrence Spurlin for the second out of the inning. However, Caleb Littlejim walked, then consecutive RBI singles from Willman and Dylan Caplinger gave the Wildcats their first lead of the game 5-4.

In the seventh, Dylan Phillips gave the Wildcats some cushion with a two-run home run, prompting Mazey to call out to his bullpen for Noah Short, who got out of the inning with three consecutive outs, striking out two.

The Wildcats broke the game open in the eighth when Caplinger hit a two-run home run to extend and hold on to the 9-4 decision.

West Virginia is back in action Friday as they host a top 10 TCU team with the first of a three-game series beginning Friday at 6:30 pm EST. 

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