Both purple lineups managed to secure a win, setting up the series decider in game 3. Unfortunately for Kansas State, Texas Christian would take control early and remain in charge for the duration of all nine innings, securing a 4-0 win.
“It was a disappointing last two games,” K-State head coach Pete Hughes said. “Today I thought our bullpen pitched well enough for us to win. However, you can’t win if you don’t score. Our offense is too good to throw away that many at-bats.”
The Horned Frogs scored four runs on 12 hits, compared to the Wildcats, who only connected on six pitches and couldn’t turn batters into scoring baserunners. K-State also struggled to find consistency on the mound, using a total of six pitchers, while TCU comfortably played two.
K-State would start Matt Flores on the rubber, who stayed there for 2.1 innings. During his time, he faced 15 batters, striking out three and walking one, while allowing three runs on six hits.
The Horned Frogs got the game kicked off with a hit by pitch, single and walk before K-State’s first of many mound visits. With baserunners on second and third base, a sacrifice fly put TCU on the board 1-0 and began its dominance.
In the bottom of the first, the Horned Frogs would have an expedited time on defense as right-hander Zack James shut out the Wildcats in a three-up, three-down half inning.
Utilizing the momentum, TCU’s bats went right back to work in the second. Thanks to Cole Cramer’s double to right field, the Frogs were able to send two runners home, extending their lead 3-0.
Already in a deficit, K-State knew it had to get to work and score some runs. Bear Madliak tried to start a trend after singling to shallow right field, but wasn’t able to touch home after two other Wildcats flied out and the third struck out.
Across the third and fourth innings, TCU would hold onto its shutout and extend its lead, adding on another run as Brady Dallimore homered to right field in the top of the fifth. That would be the last run scored for the Horned Frogs, and it inevitably led to the final 4-0 score.
During K-State’s fifth inning at bats, AJ Evasco singled to center field, which would mark the Wildcats’ second hit of the game.
Both teams struggled the remainder of the game to find gaps, leading to innings with only one hit and no runs. TCU would accumulate one hit in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings while the Wildcats collected one hit in the seventh, two in the eight and one in the ninth.
The ‘Cats who totaled hits included Ty Smolinski, who singled during the seventh, Cadyn Karl and Grant Gallagher, who singled in the eighth and Madliak, who doubled down the left field line during the ninth.
Going into the ninth inning, K-State went to its sixth pitcher of the game, replacing Cohen Feser with Adam Arther. On a mission to prevent TCU from scoring, Arther got the Horned Frogs’ Jack Bell to line out, along with getting two back-to-back strikeouts to finish the half inning.
The Wildcats needed a rally in the bottom of the ninth, but would be closed out by right-hander Walter Quinn, who handed K-State its third series loss in a row.
“You can’t be shut out for 17 straight innings at home with one game to win to clinch a series,” Hughes said. “We have a lot of work to do.”
With their series loss, the Wildcats move to 20-12 overall and 5-7 in conference play. The team looks for a road win against Wichita State at 6 p.m. on April 7.
