With the bases loaded, Shintaro Inoue hit a ground ball through the right side, and the throw home was too late as Kansas State plated two runs and walked off Texas Tech 5-4 for a series sweep.
Starting the inning off was catcher Bear Madliak, as he smoked a double down the line. Up next, designated hitter Kyan Lodice was hit by a pitch, and quickly, the Wildcats (19-8) had the tying run on base.
With two on, pinch hitting for the ‘Cats was Sam Flores. Flores, with two strikes, smoked a ball down the right field line for an RBI single to close the gap and turn the lineup over to the top. While Inoue gets credit for the walk-off hit, the hit by Flores was just as big.
“I am just happy for a guy like Sam Flores, who hasn’t played a lot of baseball this spring, but his mindset has never left the team first,” head coach Pete Hughes said. “He puts himself in a really good place mentally when we call his number. Heck of a role model for our younger players is Sam Flores.”
After Flores hit, third baseman Dee Kennedy walked, which loaded the bases for Inoue as he walked off the Red Raiders.
“It was unbelievable; it was great to see a guy like Sam Flores come in off the bench,” graduate catcher Keegan O’Connor said. He’s always ready, always getting in extra swings. He had a big time swing for us and then Shintaro [Inoue] to follow him.”
To start the game off, Texas Tech pounced first as they hit a two-run home run off of K-State starter Lincoln Sheffield. They were able to score another run in the third inning to take an early 3-0 lead.
In the third inning, Ty Ruhl took over for Sheffield and Ruhl had his best stuff today as he went 3 1/3 scoreless innings, including working out of a bases loaded, no out jam allowing no runs.
On the mound for Texas Tech was starter Zane Petty, who made quick work of the Wildcats early as he didn’t allow a hit till the fourth inning and when he departed in the sixth had held the Wildcats offense to no runs.
However, O’Connor was the first batter to face the new bullpen arm and took full advantage, crushing a two-run home run to get the ‘Cats a little closer.
“The biggest thing preached to us is patience, getting the pitches that we can handle and then drive the ball,” O’Connor said.
Texas Tech answered right away in the seventh with another run to make its lead 4-2, but the ‘Cats did a good job of limiting the damage.
Helping limit that damage was left-handed pitcher JJ Slack as he came in and pitched two scoreless innings while striking out five batters. Slack and Ruhl’s dominance kept K-State in the game.
“Guys like JJ Slack and Ty Ruhl, putting up big zeros for us was huge,” O’Connor said. “Ty [Ruhl] got out of a base loaded with no outs, which was huge for momentum, and then JJ Slack coming in and throwing up zeros was awesome.”
K-State stands alone atop the Big 12 standings and has put itself in position to be in the Top 25. Still, the players and coaches are playing to prove to everyone else that they are a top NCAA baseball team.
“We are the only power four team that leads their conference and are not in the Top 25,” Hughes said. “You’re either going to prove them right or prove them wrong, and no one was comfortable with just a series win [this weekend]. We have to keep winning games to change our perception out there.”
K-State stayed undefeated at home with the win moving to an outstanding 10-0. Overall, in Big 12 play, the team is 8-1 and has goals of trying to host a regional for the NCAA tournament.
“I want to host, it’s a heck of a home field advantage, and we are in a situation where we can do that right now. I don’t want to just go to the national tournament, I want to host in this community,” Hughes said.
K-State hits the road for four games this week, with a game at Wichita State on Wednesday and then a three-game weekend series against Oklahoma State.
