Baseball takes series from K-State with thrilling ninth-inning rally

Turning point
The game featured seven lead changes and five ties over the course of nine innings, several of those occurring over the final third of the game. K-State took an 11-10 lead on a one-out mammoth 478-foot blast in the bottom of the eighth inning off of Sean Fitzpatrick, who pitched for the second-straight game. Things could have easily continued to spiral for the veteran after he hit the next batter and watched the pinch runner steal second to put an insurance run in scoring position and then 90-feet away after a groundout. Fitzpatrick left the runner at third with an inning-ending flyout, however, and kept things a much more manageable one-run game heading to the ninth.

Big moment
ASU wasted no time with a response as Dominic Smaldino doubled off the center field wall on the very first pitch of the ninth inning to put the tying run in scoring position. A Garrett Michel double put runners on the corners and brought Sam Myers to the plate as a pinch hitter against a new pitcher. Myers quickly fell behind in the count, 1-2, but slashed one through the right side of the infield for the game-tying run while keeping the pressure on with no outs. Ky McGary scored on a wild pitch and after Brody Briggs HBP, the Wildcats would intentionally walk Hairston to load the bases with one out. Moutzouridis and Roellig each drew RBI walks to make it a 14-11 game.

Final straw
Toigo issued the knockout punch against the laboring K-State pitcher, powered one to the opposite left center field gap for ASU’s sixth grand slam of the season and his second homer of the game. The blast made it an 18-11 contest and an eight-run ninth inning that the Sun Devils were able to comfortably hold on to in the bottom of the ninth.

The big number
4 - Four times in the contest, Kansas State scored runs in the bottom half of an inning that either tied or took the lead for the Wildcats. All four times, the Sun Devils immediately responded with a crooked number in the top half of the next inning to reclaim the lead for themselves. KSU tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the first and ASU responded with two in the top of the second on a Hairston two-run homer. The Wildcats scored two more to match it in the bottom of the second and ASU notched a pair of RBI groundouts from Smaldino and Michel to take the lead back. Kansas State’s three-run sixth inning gave the Wildcats a 9-7 lead but against the Sun Devils came right back with a three-run seventh of their own to retake a one-run lead at 10-7. And finally, after K-State’s two-run go-ahead blast in the eighth, the Sun Devils put up an eight-spot in the ninth to seal the game.

Inning by inning
First inning
Hairston led off with a single and took second and third on a pair of wild pitches and scored on a one-out Roellig single. Toigo got all of one after that for his seventh homer in the last nine games, a two-run shot that gave ASU an early 3-0 lead. K-State came right back with a pair of leadoff doubles and a walk and a one-out single loaded the bases. A missed foul tip call led to a wild strike three that allowed a runner to score from third and another scored on an infield single to tie the game but ASU was able to make a play on the trail runner to keep the go-ahead run from scoring.

Second inning
Leach reached on a one-out error and stole second with two outs and Hairston picked up where he left off last night with a moonshot down the right field line that registered as a 43 degree exit angle to make it 5-3. The hits kept coming with K-State leading off with a single and a two-run homer to immediately tie the game again. A walk and a one-out single would end Overbay’s day. Colby Guy came in and stranded both runners to keep things netted at 5-5.

Third inning
Roellig led off with a single and Toigo doubled to put both runners in scoring position with no outs. Roellig scored on an RBI groundout from Smaldino.A pair of RBI groundouts from Smaldino and Michel made it 7-5. Guy worked around a leadoff walk to post the first zero of the ball game to keep the Sun Devils on top by a pair.

Fourth inning
Briggs drew a one-out walk but a double play ended the frame with no damage done for ASU for the first time. KSU got a leadoff single on the first pitch of the frame.Guy got the defending Big 12 Player of the Week to ground into a double play but saw a check swing beat the shift for a two-out baserunner and a double would score the runner to bring K-State back within 7-6.

Fifth inning
Roellig reached again on a one-out HBP and moved to second on a sac bunt but ASU couldn’t bring him home. The Wildcats got another leadoff baserunner via walk but a strikeout and double play ended that threat.

Sixth inning
Michel reached on a leadoff walk of his own but a double play was called on an obstruction call and a groundout led the ASU’s third scoreless frame. K-State notched a leadoff baserunner for the sixth consecutive inning via another another pair of walks - this time off of Linder out of the pen as ASU had to go right back to it in favor in Butler. A double plated the tying run and moved the go-ahead runs into scoring position with no outs and a hanging breaking ball put K-State on top with another RBI single. A sac fly made it 9-7 before Butler was able to get a punchout and flyout to keep ASU within striking distance.

Seventh inning
Briggs drew a leadoff walk to turn things back to the top of the order and Hairston doubled to put the tying runs in scoring position. Moutzouridis sliced one through the right side to beat the severe shift and plate both runs and even the game back at 9-9. Toigo notched a one-out single to keep the pressure on. Smaldino followed with an RBI single of his own to retake the lead at 10-9. Eli Buxton entered in relief and posted the first true 1-2-3 inning for either team, striking out the side in the bottom of the seventh.

Eighth inning
Leach notched a leadoff single and Hairston a one-out double to put runners in scoring position and Moutzouridis walked to load the bases but ASU squandered the opportunity with a foul pop out and a ground out and was unable to add to the lead. Buxton walked to leadoff batter to put the tying run on and ASU went to Fitzpatrick. The runner moved to scoring position on a wild pitch but it didn’t matter as a monstrous 478-foot homer put K-State back on top, 11-10. A HBP and stolen base but the insurance run in scoring position and moved to third on a groundout but Fitzpatrick was able to strand him there to give the Sun Devils a chance.

Ninth inning
Smaldino led off with a double to center on the first pitch he saw and Michel singled to put runners on the corners.  Sam Myers quickly fell behind in the count as a pinch hitter before finding the hole in the right side for an RBI single to tie the game as the pinch runner McGary moved to third on the play and scored on a wild pitch a couple pitches later to give ASU a 12-11 lead. Briggs drew a one-out HBP to put two on with one out and bring Hairston to the plate and a pitching change. A wild pitch advanced the runners and ASU put Hairston on with the intentional walk to the free base to load them up with one out. Moutzouridis and Roellig drew RBI walks to make it 14-12 and then Toigo had the big knock of the frame with a first pitch oppo taco for his second homer of the game and ASU’s sixth grand slam of the weekend to make it 18-11. Derek Schaefer shook off a leadoff homer and a dusk ball to get through the ninth with minimal drama to seal the series victory, 18-12.