MANHATTAN, Kan. (KStateSports.com) – Junior David Bishop delivered a one-out single to bring home Chuck Ingram for the game-winning run in the bottom of the 12th inning to give K-State a walk-off 6-5 victory Friday night over No. 15 Oklahoma State at Tointon Family Stadium.
K-State (23-14, 8-8 Big 12) trailed Oklahoma State (25-13, 10-6 Big 12) by two runs going into the home half of the 12th but managed to tie the game after catcher Raphael Pelletier doubled to left center and scored Brady Day and Kaelen Culpepper. With the game tied 5-5 and runners on second and third, Bishop roped a 1-1 pitch down the left field line to drive in Ingram and give the Wildcats their second walk-off win of the season.
“It was a good Friday night win,” said head coach Pete Hughes following his team’s walk-off victory. “I thought our pitching staff fought through some adversity in how they managed to prevent an inning from spiraling out of control, which was one of our goals tonight because Oklahoma State is a big inning team. It allowed us a chance to push the game into extra innings.”
“A gutty comeback. To go down in extra innings, and our team showed tremendous character by keeping their heads up and keep playing to get the next hitter. This allowed us to have a great comeback win in extra innings at home. It was an awesome college baseball game,” Hughes said.
All nine players of the Wildcats’ lineup contributed a hit, with multi-hit efforts from five different players. Pelletier, who went 2-for-6, drove in a game-high two runs while Culpepper scored twice.
Blake Dean, Cole Wisenbaker, and Tyson Neighbors combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings, with Neighbors striking out five of the nine batters he faced.
Andrew Evans ended the game on the mound for the Wildcats and picked up his fourth victory of the season (4-2).
Owen Boerema yielded five hits with three earned runs against him over his 5 2/3 innings. The lefty finished with six strikeouts with five walks in a no decision.
Five different players generated a hit for OSU led by Colin Brueggemann, who went 3-for-6 at the plate with two runs scored. Tommy Molsky tossed the final 2 1/3 innings and recorded his first loss of the season, finishing the night with three earned runs on five hits with five strikeouts (5-1).
THE RUNDOWN
After two scoreless frames, OSU’s Zach Ehrhard launched a solo shot into left field to lead off the third inning, but Boerema settled in and retired the next three batters to keep the game within one.
The Wildcats rallied in the bottom of the inning as Jaden Parsons singled through the left side before moving into scoring position on a ground ball to third. With two outs, Brendan Jones laced a hit up the middle to score Parsons and even the score.
Behind a 1-2-3 inning from Boerema, Culpepper doubled down the left field line and advanced to third with a sacrifice bunt by Ingram. Designated hitter Cayden Phillips put a 2-2 pitch through the left side to hand the Wildcats the one-run advantage.
OSU scored a pair of runs over a two-inning span to take back the lead, 3-2.
In the bottom of the inning and with two outs, English belted his second collegiate home run 371-feet out to the west stadium parking lot to make it a 3-3 ballgame.
After back-and-forth action, neither team was able to grab the lead until two consecutive singles handed the Cowboys a two-run lead in the 12th.
Down 5-3, Day led off with an infield single after beating the throw to first before Culpepper doubled to put pressure on the Cowboys. Molsky issued a walk to Ingram to load the bases. Pelletier smoked the first pitch into left center to even the score for the fourth time of the night.
With one out and Ingram on third and Pelletier on second, Bishop drove the third pitch he faced past the diving efforts of the Cowboys’ third basemen to capture the walk-off win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- K-State scored six runs on 14 hits with no errors committed and 11 runners left on base.
- OSU scored five runs on eight hits, committed no errors, and stranded 15 on base.
- All nine players of the Wildcats’ lineup turned in a hit with five posting multi-hit efforts.
- Pelletier drove in a game-high two RBI, going 2-for-6 at the plate.
- Bishop drove in the game-winning run with an RBI single in the 12th.
- Evans (4-2) closed the game and earned the win in relief, allowing two earned runs on two hits in his two innings of work.
- Molsky (5-1) surrendered the final three runs, all earned, to receive the loss.
- English hit his second collegiate home run in the seventh to tie the game, 3-3.
- Six of K-State’s 14 hits were for extra-bases, including five doubles.
- K-State was 6-for-23 (.261) with men on base and hit 4-for-12 (.333) with runners in scoring position.
- OSU hit .167 (4-for-24) with runners on base and went 3-for-14 (.214) with runners in scoring position.
- The Cats hit .267 (4-for-15) with two outs, and drove in two two-out RBI.
NOTES
- The victory marked the Cats’ 11th comeback victory of the season.
- OSU leads the all-time series 178-61, including a 54-21 record in Big 12 play.
- Day has successfully reached base in 36 consecutive games.
- K-State is 14-4 at home this season and 4-3 in Big 12 action at Tointon.
- K-State is 6-1 in one-run games this season and 3-1 in extra-inning games this season.
- First extra-inning game with the Cowboys since 2016 (L, 5-4 in Manhattan)
- Friday’s game marked the fourth extra-inning game of the season – first time since 2021 (3-1).
- The Wildcats are 18-4 when out-hitting opponents.
ON DECK
Round two between the Wildcats and Cowboys is slated for 4 p.m. Saturday inside Tointon Family Stadium. Saturday’s game can be seen on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
