Kansas State Uses Four-Run Fourth Inning to Defeat WVU 5-2

Kansas State scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning off of West Virginia starter Jake Carr to beat the Mountaineers 5-2 Saturday evening.

Carr was pitching well against the Wildcats until a walk and an error put two runners on for KSU first baseman Terry Spurlin in the top of the fourth inning. Spurlin hit a ball over the fence in right field to give the Wildcats a 4-0 lead. KSU would add another run in the inning on a wild pitch to go up 5-0.

Welcome back, Terry Spurlin! 🚀#KStateBSB 5 – WVU 0 | Bot 4 pic.twitter.com/2CX3d8yDEy

— K-State Baseball (@KStateBSB) April 24, 2021

West Virginia scored a run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by shortstop Mikey Kluska and another on a wild pitch in the ninth but fell to KSU 5-2.

Carr (1-3, 10.59) lasted 3 1/3 innings, giving up five runs, three earned, on four hits with three strikeouts and took the loss. Zach Ottinger and Adam Tulloch followed Carr out of WVU’s bullpen and combined for 4 2/3 scoreless innings.

Centerfielder Dominic Ragazzo had WVU’s only extra-base hit of the afternoon, a double in the top of the eighth. Kluska had the Mountaineers’ only RBI.

KSU starter Connor McCullough (3-2, 4.14) got the win, pitching seven innings on one-run, one-hit ball with eight strikeouts. Spurlin finished 2 for 4 with three RBI and the home run.

With the win, Kansas State (22-16, 5-9 Big 12) evened its weekend series with West Virginia (15-17, 6-8) at one win apiece. The two will play a rubber match at 2 p.m. Sunday in Manhattan. WVU left-hander Ben Hampton (3-1, 3.81) is scheduled to face KSU’s Carson Seymor (2-4, 6.53).