MANHATTAN, Kan. – Seven strikeouts over 6 innings from starter Owen Boerema and a two-run homer by Robert Pena led K-State to a 3-2 triumph over No. 14 Texas Tech at Tointon Family Stadium on Friday night.
After falling back 2-0, the Wildcats (27-16, 10-6 Big 12) broke their method to a one-run deficit prior to Pena released his 12th home run of the season to get the series opener versus the Red Raiders (29-14, 8-8 Big 12) to relocate to 2nd in the league standings.
“That was a fantastic college baseball video game,” head coach Pete Hughes said about his group’s upset triumph. “We saw 2 truly fantastic starts from both pitchers with fantastic defense and in those tight video games it’s either going to be a huge mistake or a success that’s going to win it and we were lucky sufficient to get the success.”
Boerema fanned 7 batters to keep the video game within one throughout his 6 innings to bring his season overall to 76.
You Ruhl (3-3) got the triumph in relief after tossing 2 nothing innings with a set of strikeouts while Tyson Neighbors was credited with his 8th save of the year. The sophomore duo integrated for 3 hitless innings with simply one runner reaching 2nd.
“Owen [Boerema] was constant to keep us in the video game and our bullpen selected him up and was lights out.”
Kalen Culpepper and Nick Goodwin each went 2-for-4 at the plate to lead the offense with Pena driving in a game-high 3 RBI.
Tyson Neighbors broke the K-State TrackMan-era pitch speed record, touching 99 miles per hour.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Texas Tech sought to rapidly get on the board in the very first inning after benefiting from 2 strolls to pack the bases, however Boerema required a fly ball to center to end the hazard.
The Wildcats defense backed the left-hander over 4 scoreless innings with just one runner advancing to 2nd.
In the 5th frame, the Red Raiders tagged a set of go to the board after stringing together back-to-back RBI songs.
Cole Johnson reacted for the Cats in the bottom of the inning as the senior from Southlake, Texas struck a single out to ideal field prior to taking 2nd to move into scoring position. Raphael Pelletier put down the sac bunt where the Raiders’ starter Mason Molina could not develop the play to place runners on very first and 3rd. Pena struck a fly ball into center to plate Johnson, bridging the space to one, 2-1.
Ruhl utilized 16 pitches to retire the side in the seventh after alleviating Boerema in the seventh.
K-State took control in bottom of the frame as Pena released his 12th homer of the season out to ideal field. After Pelletier singled to right, the senior from Caracas, Venezuela unloaded on a 3-2 pitch to put the Wildcats on top.
With a one-run lead, the Cats made the call to bring Neighbors to the mound in the ninth. The sophomore strolled the very first batter he dealt with however was gotten with a double play to stop the Red Raiders’ momentum. With 2 outs, the Neighbors required a grounder to brief to seal the upset triumph.
INSIDE PACKAGE
- K-State scored 3 work on 9 hits with 7 left on base and no mistakes devoted
- Pena released his 12th homer; ties 3rd in the Big 12
- Seven various gamers signed up a hit, 2 struck numerous
- Pena produced a game-high 3 RBI
- Culpepper and Goodwin went 2-for-4 at the plate
- Ruhl made the triumph to relocate to 3-3
- Neighbors gathered his 8th save; ties 8th in Cats single-season record book
- Boerema made his 11th start on the mound
- TTU scored 2 work on 6 hits with one mistake and 10 left on base
- Free (5-4) received the loss
NOTES
- The Wildcats got their 3rd triumph over a ranked challenger this year
- Pena is one homer far from connecting seventh in K-State’s single season records
- Neighbors broke the K-State TrackMan-era pitch speed record at 99 miles per hour
- Johnson broadened his hit streak out to 7
- Rugely extended his on-base streak to 25 straight video games followed by Day (23) and Pelletier (19)
- TTU leads the all-time series 50-33-1
- Cats are 20-17 versus the Red Raiders in Manhattan
- K-State enhances to 14-5 at home this season
- The Cats dive to 2nd in the Big 12 standings at 10-6 (.625)
ON DECK
Game 2 of the Big 12 series is slated for 4 p.m. Saturday at Tointon Family Stadium. The whole series will be streamed on the Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the ESPN app with radio protection on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM). Live streaming audio is available for all video games at KStateSports.com/watch and on the K-State Sports app.
