Wildcats Big First Inning is too much for Mountaineers

A five-run first inning from the Kansas State Wildcats (25-27, 8-12) was too much to overcome for the No. 21 West Virginia Mountaineers (30-18, 12-11) as KSU even the series with an 8-6 win.

For the second time in as many days, lead-off hitter Tyler Doanes started the game with a solo homerun to put the Mountaineers up early.

K-State answered in the bottom of the inning, teeing off on West Virginia starting pitcher Jackson Wolfe for five runs. Will Brennan kicked it off for the Wildcats with a one out walk. He proceeded to steal second. Followed by Thomas Hughes singling to rightfield, putting runners on the corners before Terrence Spurlin got a hold of a 2-1 pitch for a three-run bomb over left-centerfield.

The Wildcat bats continued to do damage as Chris Ceballos doubled down the left field line, then Caleb Littlejim followed suit for an RBI triple down the line. Jordan Maxson capped it off with a sacrifice fly to deep centerfield.

Paul McIntosh began the second inning with a solo homerun to get the Mountaineers within three.

In the top of the third, Tevin Tucker started the inning with a single through the gap between third and short. He was awarded second on a balk and back-to-back wild pitches brought him home to close the K-State lead to 5-3.

Terrence Spurlin hit his second homerun of the day to begin the bottom of the inning, pushing the Wildcats lead to back up to three.

Chris Ceballos hit a two-run homerun in the fifth after Spurlin drew a walk and that would end the day for Wolfe as he gave up eight runs on seven hits.

The Mountaineers got back in the game in the sixth when Brandon White started the inning with a walk, followed up with Darius Hill reaching on a chopper in the gap in the right side to put runners on the corners.

Marques Inman hit a hard ground ball that bounced off K-State pitcher Eric Torres and the throw may have been in time but Spurlin was pulled off the bag as Inman slid safely into first and White scored from third.

Paul McIntosh went opposite field poking an RBI double up the right field line.

Ivan Gonzalez hit a line drive directly to second baseman Jaxon Passino but made and errant throw to second for the double play and Marcus Inman scored from third to cap off a three-run sixth inning.

Andrew Stratman took the mound to get the final out of the sixth and shutdown any potential comeback for the Mountaineers only allowing 1 hit to finish out the game.

West Virginia will look to avoid their first back-to-back series losses tomorrow at noon est inside Tointon Family Stadium.