No. 23 Kansas State took down Texas in dominant fashion thanks to hot hitting and solid pitching on Thursday night.
After jumping out to an early lead, Texas gave up an eight-run second inning to Kansas State. Texas was unable to come back from the Wildcat’s monster run and fell 14-6.
The Longhorns started early at bat as sophomore shortstop Jalin Flores hit a solo home run with the wind at his back in the top of the first inning. Freshman Dee Kennedy hit his first collegiate home run in the top of the second inning to left center field, coming with redshirt senior left fielder Porter Brown on base. It was also his third and fourth RBI of the season.
Against Air Force last week, Kennedy was the hero, hitting an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning for the walk-off win. However, this night, Kennedy’s home run to put Texas up three runs early became rather unimportant shortly after.
On a nine-game win streak, the Wildcats did not ease off the gas coming into this series. Texas held Kansas State scoreless through the first inning but its bat’s quickly got hot.
Redshirt junior pitcher Lebarron Johnson Jr. started the evening on the mound for Texas but only pitched until the second inning. After a 1-2-3 first inning, Kansas State found its offensive stride.
In the bottom of the second inning, Johnson gave up a walk, double and RBI single, Kansas State stole second and home at the same time on a bad throw home, an RBI double, walk and single on a bunt. Through all of this, he did not record an out and gave up three runs.
Redshirt sophomore Cody Howard inherited loaded bases without an out recorded and tasked to limit the damage. He did not.
The first batter he faced flew out to center field, but his next pitch was a wild one and a run scored. He walked his third batter to load the bases and then walked a second batter in a row to give up a run. With the bases loaded and one out, Howard’s night was done.
Freshman Hudson Hamilton replaced Howard and started his night by facing the ninth batter of the inning. He started with a fly out to the shortstop but gave up a bases-clearing double to bring Kansas State’s run total for the inning to eight. He walked one more batter but it didn’t matter as the 13th batter of the inning flew out to right field for the third out.
Hamilton continued to pitch for Texas, going for just over four innings. His night ended after he threw 75 pitches, 52 of which were strikes, faced 23 batters, gave up 10 hits for five runs, struck out one and walked one. He also gave up three home runs.
Following Hamilton, sophomore infielder Cade O’Hara took the mound in the sixth inning. In 1 ⅓ innings, O’Hara faced seven batters, gave up two hits and one run, struck out one and walked one batter.
Redshirt sophomore pitcher Grant Fontenot finished the game for the Longhorns, walked one batter, struck out two and gave up one hit. He faced five batters and threw 24 pitches in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Freshman center fielder Will Gasparino added a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning, his fifth of the season. Kennedy and redshirt senior utility player Peyton Powell added singles and were brought home on a double to center field by Flores, but the offensive surge was too little too late.
Texas recorded 10 hits for six runs but gave up 18 hits for 14 runs. With the win, the Wildcats extended their winning streak to 10 games. The teams will return to the diamond on Friday for the second game of the series.
