The battle between the Wildcats was fierce, going inning for inning until both teams scored late into the game.
The first five and a half innings were silenced between starting pitchers, Owen Kramkowski for Arizona and James Guyette for K-State.
Kramkowski went 7.1 innings, giving up six hits and one run, while striking out six across 29 batters. Arizona made a pitching change later in the game, replacing Kramkowski with Garrett Hicks. Hicks would take the loss for the night, going 1.2 innings on the hill, allowing one hit and one run across six batters faced.
The purple and white started right-handed Guyette on the mound, where he went six innings, striking out eight batters and allowing five hits on one run. Adam Arther was also mixed into the pitching lineup for 1.1 innings, striking out three batters and allowing one hit and no runs. Miles Smith wrapped up the bullpen, finishing the remaining 1.2 innings. Smith struck out one batter from the four he faced, stopping Arizona from scoring any runs or accumulating any hits.
“I thought that was a great Friday night win all the way around,” K-State head coach Pete Hughes said. “Our lineup, our bullpen — we made big plays all night, especially in pressure situations. The pitching staff was phenomenal and came up with big pitches when we needed them. They stranded a leadoff triple with no runs in the eighth inning, and that was the moment that won the game for us.”
The first run on the board came in the bottom of the sixth as Arizona’s Beau Sylvester knocked an RBI triple into right-center on an 0-1 count. The hit scored baserunner Andrew Cain from first, giving the red-and-blue-clad Wildcats the lead 1-0.
The seventh inning remained hushed from both sides before K-State tallied one run in the eighth and again in the ninth inning.
While Kramkowski was finishing up his time on the hill, he threw a wild pitch, allowing Grant Gallagher to score on a passed ball and tie the game 1-1.
Arizona made the pitching change to Hicks, where Cadyn Karl hit a sac fly to right field. The fly ball scored AJ Evasco to give the visiting Wildcats the lead 2-1 and inevitably seal the win for K-State.
“AJ Evasco had a big night for us and got the big hit,” Hughes said. “We got a late run because of his leadoff double. Overall, it was a great team win on a Friday night, led by our pitching staff, which delivered from the first inning through the ninth.”
