Although slow at first, Kansas State baseball secured the first game against UMass Lowell with a 10-1 victory. The Wildcats put on an explosive fifth inning that helped earn the win.
Neither team gave the other the edge early on. Due to the slow start, starter Owen Boerema failed to earn the win despite allowing zero runs. Relief pitcher Andrew Evans earned the win with three innings pitched and one run allowed.
The first hit for K-State came from second baseman Brady Day in the bottom of the second. Nothing would come from this though, and the score would stay 0-0 going into the third inning.
The Riverhawks got the first run of the game in the top of the third as outfielder Trey Brown took it home. The Wildcats failed to respond, giving UMass Lowell the upper hand as it was up 1-0 going into the fourth inning.
Things started to look up for K-State in the fourth. Shortstop Kaelen Culpepper earned himself a hit and got on second base. Following him, Day struck again, hitting a home run toward right field for a 2-1 lead.
The bottom of the fifth inning was even better for K-State. With bases loaded, center fielder Brendan Jones walked third baseman Danniel Rivera in for a run. Day earned another hit with bases loaded which allowed Raphael Pelletier to also notch a run.
“We are going to make people work for it,” head coach Pete Hughes said. “We created traffic through the walks, and it can be demoralizing to pitching staffs.”
Walks were a major issue for the Riverhawks, allowing K-State to score often. The Wildcats earned four runs total in the fifth, gaining a 6-1 lead.
Day continued to be an asset for the Wildcats. The second baseman hit his second home run of the game as the ball bounced off the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh, extending the K-State lead to 7-1.
“Very proud of Brady,” Hughes said. “That is what a veteran accomplished player brings to your lineup and that is what he brought today.”
The Wildcats added three more points onto the scoreboard to finish off the game, one coming off a home run by Culpepper in the bottom of the eighth.
The series will continue Saturday at 3 p.m.
