Kansas State snapped a nine-game losing streak to close their series against Cincinnati on senior night. Behind a dominant outing from pitcher James Guyette and a milestone performance from shortstop Dee Kennedy, the Wildcats defeated the Bearcats 5-2.

“I’m happy for our guys,” K-State head coach Pete Hughes said. “They’ve stuck with a tough stretch in our program this season and played really good baseball this weekend.”

Guyette pitched his first collegiate complete game, allowing just two runs on three hits while striking out a career-high 13 batters. The junior right-hander retired 18 of the final 20 batters he faced after Cincinnati scored twice in the second inning. 

K-State erased the early 2-0 deficit with five unanswered runs between the third and fifth innings. Kennedy tied the game in the third with a two-run home run to left field, his 20th homer of the season. With the blast, Kennedy became just the fifth player in Big 12 history to record 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in the same season.

“Got some big hits from (Kennedy),” Hughes said. “20-20 is an amazing accomplishment.”

Wildcats catcher Bear Madliak doubled to open the fourth inning and later scored on a Grant Gallagher RBI single to center, giving K-State a 3-2 edge. 

The Wildcats added more insurance in the fifth, as Kyan Lodice and Shintaro Inoue reeled in runs, extending the lead to 5-2. 

Guyette did not allow a run after the second inning and sealed the victory by striking out the final batter in the ninth. The outing marked the first nine-inning complete game by a Wildcat pitcher since Owen Boerema in the 2024 Big 12 Tournament.

Madliak finished 2-for-3 with two doubles and two runs scored, while Kennedy drove in two runs. Lodice also added two hits for the Wildcats.

The Wildcats head to John Euliano Park in Orlando, Fla., to face off against UCF on Friday at 5 p.m.