Courtesy of Kansas State Athletics
NORMAN, Okla. —K-State could not overcome the early six runs Oklahoma put on the board, as the Sooners pounded out 16 hits and dealt the Wildcats an 11-4 loss on Saturday at L. Dale Mitchell Park. With the win, Oklahoma takes the series and sits atop the Conference standings alongside West Virginia.
K-State (21-12, 7-7 Big 12), down 6-0 entering the sixth inning, came back with four runs that included a two-run triple by Kaelen Culpepper to bring the game within two. However, the Sooners (20-14, 10-4 Big 12) rattled off six hits in the eighth to help drive in five runs and put the game away.
"Proud of the fight to almost have that game turn our way but in the end, we were not able to make the plays we needed to and they did," K-State head coach Pete Hughes said.
Right-hander Kyson Witherspoon was awarded the victory, as the sophomore from Jacksonville, Fla., held the Wildcats to one hit with eight strikeouts through five innings (3-2). Witherspoon finished the day allowing four runs, all earned, on five hits in his 5 1/3 innings of work.
"Witherspoon was really good over five innings, keeping us to one hit, that allowed their offense to take advantage of the long ball. They capitalized when they were able to get that lead runner on. We did not," said Hughes.Owen Boerema suffered the loss, allowing five runs, all earned, on seven hits with four strikeouts (3-3).
THE RUNDOWN
After a scoreless first inning, Brady Day generated the Wildcats first hit of the day with a ground-rule double out to center.
OU took advantage of a single and pair of walks to load the bases in the home half of the frame, but a chopper to second ended the threat to get K-State out of the jam, but the Sooners bounced back and homered in three consecutive innings to jump out to a six run-lead.
Down 6-0, the Wildcats rallied for four runs in the sixth led off with back-to-back singles by Chuck Ingram and Brendan Jones. With one out, the duo laced the Cats second and third hits of the game to bring Culpepper to the plate.
The Wildcats scratched the board as Culpepper launched his fourth triple of the season off the centerfield wall to score Ingram and Jones. The junior shortstop scored on a base knock to left by pinch hitter Carson Queck to force OU to make their first call to the pen.
Carter Campbell relieved Witherspoon and inherited runners on first and second with one out until a double steal moved both runners into scoring position. Danniel Rivera entered the game and picked up the 1-1 count where the senior grounded out to second to score Day and make it a two-run ballgame, 6-4.
OU, which hadn't scored since the fifth, added five insurance runs to the board in the bottom of the eighth to secure the win.
Sunday's series finale is scheduled for 2 p.m. at L. Dale Mitchell Park and can be seen 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.