The official athletics site of Arizona State University Opens in a new window
ASU Home My ASU Colleges and Schools
Sun Devil Athletics
HomeHome
ASU Home My ASU Colleges and Schools
Loading

Baseball drops series finale to K-State in seven innings

Season Stats Opens in a new window Game Book (PDF) Opens in a new window Conference Stats Opens in a new window
Baseball drops series finale to K-State in seven inningsBaseball drops series finale to K-State in seven innings
by Brooklyn Cohen
Box Score

MANHATTAN, Kan. – After taking the first two games of the series against K-State, Sun Devil Baseball could not pull out the series sweep, dropping the finale to the Wildcats, 12-1 in seven innings. The run-rule loss snapped a five-game winning streak for ASU, who were winners of nine of their previous ten entering the afternoon.

Arizona State (17-6, 4-2 Big 12) got out to an early 1-0 lead, but a disastrous third inning saw the Sun Devils fall into a 5-1 hole that only got worse as the game went on. Starting pitcher Kole Klecker, who was coming off his best start of the season against TCU, was tagged for 11 runs (nine earned), as he labored through 4.2 innings - several of which were extended by defensive miscues behind him.

ASU had three errors, with two of them coming from shortstop PJ Moutzouridis, who had only made one error through the first 22 games of the season. First baseman Dominic Smaldino had an error of his own as well. The three errors for the Sun Devils were the most they’ve had in a game this season. 

The offense went quiet after the first inning, as four 1-2-3 innings limited Arizona State’s chances to stage a comeback, and allowed for the Wildcats to keep piling runs on. KSU also turned three double plays in the game to quell any ASU momentum.

With the win, the Wildcats avoided their first home series sweep since the 2018 season. ASU's series win was the first at Tointon Family Stadium since 2024. KSU was 25-4 over the alst season+ in home games prior to this weekend. 

Up next 
Arizona State will look to finish off the road trip on a high note with a midweek contest at UNLV on Monday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. MST, and will be available for streaming on ESPN+.

Sun Devil Baseball on social
Get an inside look at the Sun Devil Baseball program by following their Instagram (@asu_baseball), X (@ASU_Baseball), and Facebook (facebook.com/SunDevilBaseball) accounts. For the latest information on Sun Devil Baseball, visit sundevils.com/sports/mens/baseball.