The woes continued for K-State baseball Tuesday night, as the Wildcats (20-17, 2-7 Big 12) were blown out 14-5 by Nebraska (24-14, 7-2 Big 10) in Lincoln, Neb.
The game started out promisingly enough, as K-State threw four quick runs on the board in the top of the first inning, and two quick runs by the Huskers in the bottom of the frame hinted towards some offensive fireworks in the game. Nebraska continued to light up the K-State pitching staff throughout the rest of the night, but the Wildcats managed only one more run and suffered their fourth straight loss.
K-State got 10 hits from a revamped lineup that featured senior Ross Kivett back at second base, senior Shane Conlon in left field and freshman Tyler Stover at first base, but could not find a way to score enough runs to keep the game close. Senior third baseman RJ Santigate, who was moved from four hole to two in the lineup before the game, went 4-for-4 at the plate and Conlon had a team-high two RBI to lead the team on offense.
While both teams left seven men on base, Nebraska out-hit the Wildcats by a wide margin with 22 hits in the game, including six doubles and a home run. The Huskers’ first three batters, Ryan Boldt, Jake Placzek and Michael Pritchard, combined to go 12-for-14 at the plate with eight runs scored, while Cornhusker Tanner Lubach had a double, a homer and drove in three runs.
K-State needed five pitchers to make it through the game, starting with freshman Colton Kalmus who allowed two runs in one inning in his sixth start of the season. Kalmus was relieved by sophomore Landon Busch, who gave up four runs in 2 2/3 of relief, and then sophomore Jordan Witcig coughed up another four runs in an inning of relief.
Freshman Jake Fromson was the only Wildcat pitcher to find any success. Fromson tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings before fellow freshman Braxton Wilks finished out the game by allowing four runs in the final two innings.
The Wildcats return to Manhattan in hopes of finding success in front of a home crowd as they welcome the Baylor Bears to town this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
