MANHATTAN, Kan. — The West Virginia baseball team fell at Kansas State, 9-4, on Sunday at Tointon Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kan.
The Mountaineers held three different leads in the rubber match of a three-game set against the Wildcats before the hosts tallied the final six runs of the game to earn the series win. WVU finished with four runs on seven hits with an error, while K-State tallied nine runs on 13 hits with an error.
Kansas State combined to hit four home runs on Sunday.
Kasey Ford earned the win for the Wildcats, while freshman right-hander Carlson Reed took the loss for WVU. The Marietta, Georgia, native fell to 1-4 on the year.
The Mountaineers (15-18, 6-9 Big 12) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning with help from a pair of early walks and an RBI double by sophomore catcher Matt McCormick. However, K-State (23-16, 6-9 Big 12) quickly drew even with a solo home run to left in the home half of the frame.
In the third, WVU took its second lead with a two-run inning. First, redshirt junior outfielder Vince Ippoliti earned an RBI fielder’s choice, before fifth-year senior infielder Kevin Brophy registered an RBI single to make it a 3-1 ballgame.
Meanwhile, Hampton tossed six strikeouts in his first three innings of action. In the fourth, though, the De Pere, Wis., native allowed his second long ball of the day, a two-run shot to center, to tie the game at 3.
However, it didn’t take long for WVU to respond again, as fifth-year senior outfielder Hudson Byorick walked and later scored on a wild pitch in the top of the fifth to make it 4-3.
After Hampton recorded a 1-2-3 bottom half, the Mountaineers were in business again in the sixth, getting runners to second and third with one out. However, a strikeout and inning-ending line out ended the threat.
From there, K-State scored a pair in the bottom of the sixth to take a 5-4 lead. Hampton faced the first two batters in the frame before exiting in favor of Reed. His final line showed four runs allowed on seven hits with a career-high six strikeouts and a walk in 5.0 innings. He finished with a no decision.
The Wildcats’ third homer of the day plated two more runs in the bottom of the seventh and extended their lead to 7-4. K-State homered once more, another two-run shot, in the eighth, stretching the advantage to five.
McCormick finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored for West Virginia, while Byorick scored a pair of runs. Additionally, senior infielder Tyler Doanes stole a base, the 36th of his career, moving him into the top 10 in program history in the category.
WVU returns to Morgantown to begin an 11-game homestand, beginning with a three-game series against TCU from Friday-Sunday at Monongalia County Ballpark. Friday’s series opener is slated for 6:30 p.m., while Saturday and Sunday’s games will begin at 2 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively.
