Editor’s Note: In the original online article, we incorrectly credited Dalton Beck for winning Wildcat. The article has now been correctly updated with Blake Corsentino named the winning pitcher.
Kansas State baseball earns its first four-game win since 1984 and first four-game road win with a 16-5 win against Stephen F. Austin. With the help of a 10 mph Texas wind from the right field foul pole to left field, the Wildcats pitched five home runs, including two grand slams.
Outfielder Cole Johnson smashed a commanding grand slam off frozen left fielder Clayton Loranger moments after his second inning solo bomb. Then, first baseman Roberto Pena extended a seven-run lead by hitting a high-flying second grand slam over the left field wall in the fourth inning. Cash Rugely followed with a 2-RBI big fly in the sixth inning for his second of the series, and Kaelen Culppepper hit a 3-run homer to add insult to injury in the ninth.
Johnson’s two home runs—out of the team’s five—helped him lead the team with six RBIs from his homers and a bases-loaded walk. The RBI walk was one of K-State’s 12 free passes to the Wildcats leading up to the Pena grand slam.
K-State struck out 13 straight as the starting batter reached first base in the series. The trend continued until freshman Carson Queck hit a double play in the seventh inning, leading the Wildcats 13 for 14 on the season. Queck’s at bat marked his debut appearance, walking starting pitcher Dalton Beck, the fourth new Wildcat starting pitcher in the series.
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Beck surrendered two earned runs on two hits and struck out a batter in 2 innings pitched while Blake Corsentino’s one run, four hits and four strikeouts earned him the win. Then, Olathe native Andrew Evans allowed two runs and struck out three batters in three innings before Kyler Heyne called out the game.
Five runs allowed to SFA starting pitcher Carter Hines in 2 1/3 innings earned him the loss, though reliever Reid Boyett gave up six runs. The Lumberjacks’ five-run failed to overcome the damage in four innings, regardless of the efforts of heavy slackers Alex Rodgers, Clayton Loranger, Peyton Parker and Tom Biggs.
K-State travels two hours to face Lamar in Beaumont, Texas for a game against the Cardinals, where a 6:00 p.m. win on Wednesday, Feb. 22 marks the Wildcats’ first 5-0 run since 2011. ESPN+, while the audio is available on KMAN Radio.
