MANHATTAN, Kan. Despite setting a program record with 23 strikeouts, Kansas State fell 12–10 to Oklahoma State in 13 innings Sunday at Tointon Family Stadium.
The Wildcats dropped to 23–13 overall, while OSU improved to 22–13, with both teams now sitting at 7–8 in Big 12 action.
“It was a wasted opportunity,” head coach Pete Hughes said. “Our bullpen was outstanding. Tazwell Butler made one mistake in an otherwise dominant outing. We wouldn’t have had a lead in the ninth without him. We fought back and forced extras, but we had three innings where we could’ve won it and didn’t capitalize.”
Butler delivered a career-best performance, striking out 11 over six innings in relief. He followed Robert Fortenberry, who fanned the side in both the second and third innings.
THE RUNDOWN
Oklahoma State jumped ahead early and ultimately outlasted K-State in a tense, back-and-forth extra-inning matchup.
The Cowboys put up four runs in the first and added another on Alex Conover’s second homer in the second to make it 5–0.
K-State answered with a massive six-run second inning, sending 12 batters to the plate. AJ Evasco opened with a single before two walks loaded the bases. Chandler Murray ripped a two-run double, Dee Kennedy added an RBI single, and Nick English drew a bases-loaded walk to even the score. Bear Madliak’s sacrifice fly and another RBI single by Evasco pushed the Wildcats ahead 6–5.
OSU regained the lead in the sixth, but K-State responded in the seventh with RBI hits from Grant Gallagher and Cadyn Karl to go back up 8–7. English homered in the eighth to extend the lead to two.
The Cowboys stormed back in the ninth, with Garrett Shull launching a go-ahead three-run homer. K-State forced extras thanks to Ty Smolinski’s sacrifice fly, scoring Micah Kendrick after his leadoff double.
The game remained even until the 13th, when OSU’s Brueggemann hit a solo home run and TP Wentworth added an RBI single. Reliever Parker Jennings then retired the Wildcats in order to seal the 12–10 win.
INSIDE THE BOX
- Oklahoma State: 12 runs, 16 hits, 1 error, 13 stranded
- Kansas State: 10 runs, 14 hits, 1 error, 11 stranded
- Eight Wildcats recorded hits; Evasco and Kendrick had three each.
- English and Murray led K-State with two RBI apiece.
- Brueggemann delivered the decisive 13th-inning homer.
- Jennings (1–0) earned the win with two scoreless frames.
- Five K-State pitchers combined for a program-record 23 strikeouts.
- Miles Smith (1–2) took the loss, allowing the final two runs.
- English homered for K-State; OSU hit three long balls.
- K-State went 5-for-16 with runners in scoring position; OSU went 4-for-19.
- Eight of OSU’s runs came with two outs.
TEAM NOTES
- The Wildcats’ 23 strikeouts broke the previous program record of 21 (vs. BYU, May 17, 2024).
- This was K-State’s longest game since a 13-inning contest at Baylor on March 29, 2013.
- K-State is now 64–183 all-time against OSU, including 24–59 in Big 12 play and 43–72 at home.
PLAYER NOTES
- Butler became the second Wildcat this season to reach double-digit strikeouts.
- Fortenberry recorded a career-high six strikeouts.
- Kendrick notched his first three-hit game of the year and now has eight multi-hit games.
ON DECK
K-State returns home Tuesday to host Omaha (11–17, 7–5 Summit League) at 6 p.m. at Tointon Family Stadium. The game will stream on ESPN+ and the ESPN app, with radio coverage on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) and free audio streaming at kstatesports.com/watch and the K-State Sports app.
