After a dissatisfying first matchup against in-state rivals Kansas, the Kansas State Wildcats came into game two with a wiped-clean mindset. But it wouldn’t be enough to overtake the No. 16 Kansas Jayhawks, who took the victory with a late comeback, 10-8.

“Heartbreaking, really,” Hughes said. “Our kids did a lot of great things to win a game, but you got to get twenty-seven outs. Seems to be the storyline of the year.”

On the mound first for the Wildcats was Lincoln Sheffield, who stayed there for 6.2  innings. Sheffield gave up two runs on six hits while striking out seven batters.

The Wildcats bats started earlier than yesterday’s, as their first appearance at the plate resulted in getting on the board first. 

Securing his 18th home run of the season, Dee Kennedy launched the ball 384ft for a solo dinger. With this milestone for Kennedy, he became the all-time single-season home run leader in K-State baseball history. 

“He’s one of the best players to ever play here, obviously,” K-State head coach Pete Hughes said. “He’s a difference maker. People got to be careful with him. A lot of his teammates benefit from him being in the lineup because they don’t want to make a mistake to Dee [Kennedy], so they challenge our other guys, and our other guys get good pitches to hit because Dee [Kennedy] is in the lineup, but he’s a great kid [and he’s a] great teammate too.”

However, the Jayhawks responded immediately with their own two-run homer, putting them up 2-1. But, getting right back to work, Grant Gallagher rolled up a double play to conclude the top of the second. 

The Wildcats shut out the Kansas bats in the third, rolling up another double play and grasping a fly out to right field.

With a Nick English walk, Kennedy stepped up to the plate to do what he did once earlier. In the bottom of the third, Kennedy connected again, sending a shot 380ft deep for a two-run home run.

“I hold myself to a very high standard,” Kennedy said. “Just day by day, how I put on the field and just how to carry myself off the field.”

Across three innings — the fourth, fifth and sixth — both teams found gaps and had baserunners, but not enough to score.

In the top of the seventh, K-State made a pitching change after walking two Jayhawks. Sheffield was replaced by lefty pitcher, Adam Arther. 

“He [Sheffield] pitched well enough to win,” Hughes said. “And he deserved to get a win today, and but he’s been rock solid. He’s the guy we lean on when we need him most, and he always comes through.”

Arther went 0.2 innings of the game, allowing one run on two hits and striking out one batter.

With Wildcats on first and third base, Kennedy walked up to the plate, ready to do his thing. However, Kennedy offered at the first pitch, grounding out to third base and leaving two on base in the seventh.

K-State made another pitching change shortly after Arther, replacing the lefty with Miles Smith in the middle of Kansas’ eighth.

Smith and the Wildcats would find no luck, though, as the right-hander allowed three runs, one unearned due to a K-State error. The Wildcats struggled throughout the top of the eighth with two errors over the three outs, resulting in a 5-3 Kansas lead.

Despite the rough top of the frame, in the bottom, Cadyn Karl bombed one 453ft to left field, bringing back any momentum K-State may have lost. The three-run homer not only brought the energy back, but also set up the Wildcats for a late 6-5 lead.

As Micah Kendrick doubled to center field, Chandler Murray was able to score from first. Trying to interrupt the Wildcats’ bat and scoring surge, Kansas made a pitching change. Even with the switch-up, though, the work in the box continued with a double from English, which scored Kendrick and wrapped up a five-run inning.

But, despite K-State’s go-ahead rally, Kansas found its groove in the ninth inning, scoring five runs on two homers to take the lead, 10-8, once again.

Even through the Wildcats’ efforts, the Jayhawks kept their batting to a minimum, going three up-three down in the bottom of the ninth.

The final game of the series will be tomorrow, with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m.