Kansas State blows past LA Tech
Photo by Josh McDaniel Kansas State's bat proved too much for Louisiana Tech in the first game of the NCAA Fayetteville Regional on Saturday.
FAYETTEVILLE - It didn't matter rain or shine, Kansas State's bats stormed past Louisiana Tech 19-4 to open the NCAA Fayetteville Regional in emphatic fashion on Saturday.
K-State went claws out with 18 hits, 5 home runs, and took it to the Bulldogs in an offensive explosion that never seemed to stop with a .419 overall average. The damage started early as the Wildcats scratched up Tech starter Luke Nichols for 7 earned runs in less than two complete innings, ending the junior left-hander's day at 1 2/3 innings, 7 earned, 5 hits, 2 walks, and a strikeout.
It didn't get better from there, even with Connor Nation throwing 2 1/3 scoreless innings with 5 strikeouts. The Wildcats figured him out eventually too, bringing in two runs off Nation.
Even after holding a 9-4 delay heading into Saturday's makeup innings, the Wildcats kept the bats going with with 10 runs over the final four innings, including three runs off Grant Hubka.
Ryan Harland surrendered 5 runs in a less than an inning of work off seperate two-run and three-run home runs as well. K-State shortstop Kalen Culpepper hit for the cycle, ending with a two-run shot off Harland.
A troublesome mix of downpouring and lightning stopped the game Friday night at 10 p.m., just ahead of the top of the sixth with K-State ahead 9-4. The suspension of play wasn't just inconvenient, it was ill-timed as the Bulldogs had just grabbed a bit of momentum with three runs in the fifth inning from their five, six, and seven-hole hitters Michael Ballard (RBI single), Adarius Myers (RBI fielder's choice), and Grant Comeaux (RBI single).
Overall, the Wildcats mashed for a .419 average compared to Tech's .194 (6-31) showing. K-State hit .458 (11-24) with runners on and its leadoff hitters slashed .556 (5-9).
Chuck Ingram, K-State's nine-hole, finished 3-4 with two HRs and 5 RBIs. Jaden Parson finished 4-5 with 4 RBIs.
Michael Ballard led Tech with a 2-4 day at the plate with an RBI, while Adarius Myers finished with 2 RBIs. Grant Comeaux, Kasten Furr, Cole McConnell, and Brody Drost all finished with singles.
LA Tech will look to keep its season alive in an elimination game against No. 4 SEMO (34-26) today at 2 p.m.
