Columbia got it going right off the bat, as catcher Owen Eastbrook doubled to right-center off of K-State starter Lincoln Sheffield to reel in two runs in the top of the first. The Wildcats had no response in the bottom of the first, scoring zero runs.
The top of the second was quieter for the Lions, as Sheffield and company allowed no runs this time around. For K-State, the bottom began subtly as right fielder AJ Evasco and third baseman Grant Gallagher were walked. But that subtle start wouldn’t last long, as first baseman Ty Smolinski smashed his first home run of the season, giving the Wildcats a 3-2 lead.
“He [Smolinski] works as hard as anybody, and he’s a talented kid,” K-State head coach Pete Hughes said. “He’s an ultimate team player and a great worker, so you love to see good things happen to those kinds of kids.”
Columbia pitcher Thomas Santana had a tough second inning, walking four different Wildcats and allowing a total of five runs, giving K-State the lead 5-2. The Lions would make a pitching change, and Ray Huke would take over on the mound, escaping the Wildcat’s five-run inning to go into the third.
In the top of the third inning, Sheffield did what any baseball fan or coach would love to see. The K-State pitcher recorded two strikeouts and caught Columbia’s left fielder, Cole Fellows, stealing.
The pitching change for Columbia proved to be vital once again in the bottom of the third, as Huke allowed zero runs from the Wildcats.
Sheffield continued to be a menace on the mound, allowing zero runs through his 6.2 innings pitched and totalling a season-high eight strikeouts. K-State fans in Tointon Family Stadium gave him a standing ovation after being subbed out for Tazwell Butler during the top of the seventh inning.
In the top of the eighth, Columbia showed some life. The Lions had two on base, with one in scoring position. Fortunately for K-State, Butler clutched up and was able to strike out two batters in a row to prevent any Columbia runs.
The ‘Cats wouldn’t score in the bottom of the eighth, and, despite allowing two singles, Cohen Feser would close out the game to seal K-State’s first series win of the season.
“I thought we won a series against a really good team,” Hughes said. “It was a grinder series win, and I’m proud of our guys; we really picked each other up.”
Smolinski finished with one homerun and three RBIs, and second baseman Shintaro Inoue had two hits with one RBI. Madliak, Evasco, Gallagher and Robby Bolin each had one run to end the game.
The Wildcats’ second-season series will be against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, with the first game starting at 4 p.m. on March 6 at Tointon Family Stadium.
