BROOKLINE, Mass. (K-State Athletics) – Brady Day had a game-high three RBI and the K-State pitching staff combined for 14 strikeouts, as the Wildcats held on for a 9-8 victory in 11 innings over Northeastern Wednesday at Friedman Diamond to jump back into the win column and end a four-game losing streak.
“Crazy game you know,” K-State head coach Pete Hughes said following the game. “Baseball, it’s a momentum game that can swing either way and it’s about how you come back and respond.”
After Northeastern (27-9) leveled the score to send the game into extras, Kaelen Culpepper singled into left center to lead off the 11th inning before advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt and a ground out. With two outs and the go-ahead run on third, Huskies’ reliever Jack Beauchesne spiked a 1-1 pitch into the turf for Culpepper to safely dive across the plate for the game-winning run.
“It could have been catastrophic. There’s no doubt about it, but it happens in the game. It’s how you respond, and our kids responded great with high character and our bullpen came in and made pitches we needed,” Hughes commented.
“I thought Tyson Neighbors and Jackson Wentworth were unbelievable coming in there when the momentum completely shifted, and then we get [Culpepper] at the top of the order there to lead off that inning and gets a big hit and was able to score the winning run.
Wentworth displayed another dominant relief performance, as he tossed two perfect innings with four strikeouts to close the game. Neighbors surrendered three runs (two earned) on three hits in his two innings of work after inheriting a bases loaded jam in the eighth.
“Big character win for our program excited for our guys. That’s a big win against a really good team.”
Josh Wintroub logged 4 1/3 scoreless innings in his first midweek start of the season. The Littleton, Colo., product scattered just two hits and retired 14 of 19 batters he faced with a game-high six strikeouts.
In its third extra-inning game of the season, K-State (22-14) had five different players produce hits including multi-hit efforts from four. Day, who hit second in the lineup for the first time all season, went 2-for-4 at the plate and drove in a game-high three runs with two walks and scored a run. Culpepper, David Bishop, and Jaden Parsons also turned in two-hit days.
Five of K-State’s six RBI were with two outs, as the Wildcats hit .257 (4-for-15) with two outs.
Northeastern sent eight pitchers to the mound with Beauchesne credited with the loss after allowing the final run.
THE RUNDOWN
K-State scored five runs in three consecutive innings led off by a solo shot from Day. With out in the first frame, the Cats’ second baseman belted his seventh homer of the season out to right center to open the game.
The Huskies immediately responded and quickly loaded the bases with a single and two hit batters but were left stranded as Wintroub locked in and retired six consecutive batters to help K-State build its lead.
With bases loaded in the second, Day delivered a two-out, two-run single to extend the Cats lead until Bishop launched his second homer of the year off the Huskies’ scoreboard in left center to make it a five-run ballgame, 5-0.
The Wildcats stretched their lead out to seven with Bishop and Brendan Jones each scoring on a wild pitch.
Northwestern began to claw its way back into the game, scoring eight runs in a four-inning span.
Down 7-2, three Huskies were hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs forcing K-State to bring Neighbors to the mound. The Wildcats reliever got a ground ball, but a costly throwing error and a single to left capped the Cats’ lead to two until Northeastern rallied for two runs in the ninth to send the game into extras.
The two squads went back-and-forth until Culpepper broke through with a base knock to left in the 11th and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Jones and groundout by Chuck Ingram. With two outs, a wild pitch got under the glove and away from the Huskies catcher to bring home a diving headfirst Culpepper for the deciding run.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- K-State scored nine runs on nine hits, committed two errors, and left nine on base.
- NU scored eight runs on nine hits with one error committed and stranded 10 on base.
- Five Wildcats produced a hit including four multi-hit efforts (Day, Culpepper, Bishop, and Parsons)
- Day went 2-for-4 and drove in a game-high three runs followed by Bishop with two RBI.
- Wentworth (2-1) picked up the victory in relief, striking out four in his two perfect innings in relief.
- K-State’s pitching staff combined for 14 strikeouts.
- The Huskies sent eight pitchers to the mound with Beauchesne (2-1) suffering the loss.
- Beauchesne allowed one earned run on one hit in his two innings.
- Day and Bishop each homered.
- Four of the Wildcats’ nine hits were for extra bases.
- The Cats three runs on wild pitches, including the game-winning run.
- K-State hit .188 (3-for-16) with runners on and was 4-for-15 in scoring position while NU was 6-for-20 (.300) with runners on and hit .250 (3-for-12) in scoring position.
- Both squads were 4-for-15 (.267) with two outs – five of K-State’s six RBI were with two outs.
NOTES
- K-State is 2-0 against the Huskies in the all-time series.
- Day has successfully reached base in 35 consecutive games.
- K-State is 9-10 on the road, including a record of 7-9 in true road games.
- The win snapped the Wildcats’ four-game losing streak.
- K-State is 5-1 in one-run games this season and 2-1 in extra-inning games.
- The Cats turned in their 13th multi-home run game.
ON DECK
K-State returns to Tointon Family Stadium for a three-game set with Conference foe Oklahoma State (25-12, 10-5 Big 12). The Big 12 series can be seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ 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.
The post K-State Survives Northeastern in Extras, 9-8 appeared first on News Radio KMAN.
