<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747365856146.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Kansas State Athletics
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&nbsp;CINCINNATI, Ohio &ndash;&nbsp;Five different Bearcats drove in a run to lead Cincinnati to a 7-4 victory over K-State in the series opener Thursday night at UC Baseball Stadium. "It's too bad," head coach&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/pete-hughes/2603" rel="smarttag" rev="2603">Pete Hughes</a></dfn>&nbsp;said. "We did some good things you have to do to win on the road. We scored first and built a lead. Unfortunately, we were unable to hold that lead. We built innings that had great potential but were unable to capitalize and couldn't situationally hit." "Also, you can't give a Big 12 opponent five or six outs in an inning &ndash; that inning is always going to end poorly and most often the game will end the same way," added Hughes. K-State (30-22, 16-12 Big 12) carried a three-run lead into the bottom of the third inning until Cincinnati erupted for four runs to take its initial lead. The Bearcats (30-22, 15-13 Big 12) broke a 4-4 tie in the sixth with Derrick Pitts single that scored the deciding-run. Right-hander&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-ruhl/12303" rel="smarttag" rev="12303">Ty Ruhl</a></dfn>&nbsp;(3-3) took the loss after allowing two runs &ndash; one earned &ndash; on three hits in his four innings in relief of starter&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/jacob-frost/12294" rel="smarttag" rev="12294">Jacob Frost</a></dfn>, who was tagged for all four runs in the third. Eight different players contributed a hit, as the Wildcats outhit Cincinnati 9-8. Freshman&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/aj-evasco/12312" rel="smarttag" rev="12312">AJ Evasco</a></dfn>&nbsp;went 2-for-4 while&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/keegan-o-connor/12317" rel="smarttag" rev="12317">Keegan O'Connor</a></dfn>&nbsp;drove in a game-high two RBI. Adam Buczkowski was awarded the victory, improving to 4-0 on the year, while Kellen O'Connor earned his first save. The duo combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of Nathan Taylor. HOW IT HAPPENED The Wildcats attacked early in the opening frame, as&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/shintaro-inoue/12311" rel="smarttag" rev="12311">Shintaro Inoue</a></dfn>&nbsp;singled up the middle to lead off the game before advancing to third on a double off the left field wall by&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/seth-dardar/12320" rel="smarttag" rev="12320">Seth Dardar</a></dfn>. The duo came across the plate in the next at bat with&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/keegan-o-connor/12317" rel="smarttag" rev="12317">Keegan O'Connor's</a></dfn>&nbsp;29th&nbsp;extra-base hit of the season. After hitting the first batter he faced, Frost locked in and retired the Bearcats in order, including back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning. K-State expanded its lead, 3-0, with a sacrifice fly from Inoue that scored&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/bear-madliak/12309" rel="smarttag" rev="12309">Bear Madliak</a></dfn>&nbsp;from third, after the catcher doubled to stretch his hitting streak to three. Ruhl took over on the mound in the third and inherited runners on first and third with two outs, after Cincinnati spotted Frost for three runs until a wild pitch handed the Bearcats a one-run lead, 4-3. K-State answered with a run in the top of the fourth, as Flores scored from second on a two-out single by&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/david-bishop/12287" rel="smarttag" rev="12287">David Bishop</a></dfn>. With the score knotted 4-4, Cincinnati tallied a run in each of the final three innings. &nbsp; The Wildcats best scoring opportunity came in the eighth with back-to-back singles from Evasco and&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/maximus-martin/12314" rel="smarttag" rev="12314">Maximus Martin</a></dfn>&nbsp;before a hit by pitch loaded the bases. With two outs, the Bearcats centerfielder leaped into the wall and robbed Inoue of an extra-base hit to defend the lead. INSIDE THE BOX
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<li>K-State scored four runs on nine hits with one error committed and nine runners left on base.</li>
<li>Cincinnati scored seven runs with eight hits, committed no errors, and nine men left stranded.</li>
<li>Eight Wildcats produced a hit, led by Evasco (2-for-4).</li>
<li>Ruhl (3-3) was credited with the loss, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits in four innings in relief.</li>
<li>Buczkowski was awarded the victory (4-0), while O'Connor earned his first save, combining for 3 2/3 scoreless innings in relief.</li>
<li>Frost surrendered four runs, all earned, in his 2 2/3 inning start.</li>
<li>O'Connor drove in a game-high two RBI followed by Bishop and Inoue each with one.</li>
<li>K-State hit .238 (5-for-21) with runners on base, and .154 (2-for-13) scoring position.</li>
<li>UC went 6-for-18 (.333) with men on base and 5-for-14 (.357) in scoring position.</li>
<li>The Wildcats outhit the Bearcats, 9-8.</li>
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TEAM NOTES
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<li>Cincinnati tied the all-time series 2-2, while taking a 1-0 lead in games played at home.</li>
<li>K-State ranks sixth in the Big 12 standings, while Cincinnati sits one game behind in seventh.</li>
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UP NEXT Game two, which features a matchup between lefty&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/michael-quevedo/12322" rel="smarttag" rev="12322">Michael Quevedo</a></dfn>&nbsp;(6-2) and Carson Marsh (3-4), is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT at UC Baseball Stadium on Friday.
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⚾ K-State drops series opener at Cincinnati