Last-place Kansas State capitalizes on defensive lapses

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Sure-handed shortstop Jimmy Galusky took his eyes off a chopper too soon. Pitcher Chad Donato threw into a runner racing toward first base. Reliever Jeff Hardy sailed a throw into center field. Darius Hill turned a catchable fly ball into the decisive two-run triple on the warning track.

Defensive miscues piled up for three unearned runs and West Virginia lost Friday night’s series opener 8-6 to Kansas State, the Big 12’s last-place team.

“Things haven’t been going our way recently, but it can turn right back around just as fast,” WVU coach Randy Mazey said. “We have a lot to play for. It’s a big series this weekend.”

Kyle Davis helped the Mountaineers (17-15, 4-5) erase a 6-2 deficit on a game-tying three-run homer in the seventh inning, but the Wildcats (15-19, 2-8) won it by getting to Hardy in the ninth.

Hardy (0-1) exacerbated a leadoff walk by throwing wildly on Tyler Wolfe’s bunt. After K-State sacrificed again, moving both runners into scoring position, Josh Ethier greeted WVU closer Blake Smith with a high drive to deep right. Hill tracked the ball and was in position to make a running catch but missed it, allowing both runners to score and Ethier to reach third.

“A lot of grit tonight, to be able to come back like that,” said K-State coach Brad Hill. “Big hit by Ethier. We got a break when they made an error on the bunt, but we took advantage of it.”

Lucas Benenati pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth for his second save.

Mitch Zubradt (1-0), who came on in the seventh after Davis’ homer, earned the win for K-State, which began Friday ranked 171st in the RPI.

West Virginia dropped to 7-8 at home and fell into a four-way tie for fourth place in the Big 12 standings alongside Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Baylor.

Big 12 strikeout leader Chad Donato fanned seven for West Virginia but left after four-plus innings and 94 pitches, his shortest outing of the season. The junior was charged with four runs, two earned, on seven hits and three walks.

“Donato wasn’t very sharp, but he’s such a competitor,” Hill said

Hill and KC Huth drilled back-to-back two-out doubles to put the Mountaineers ahead 2-1 in the third, before K-State retook the lead with two in the fourth. Galusky mishandled Jake Scudder’s chop single for the tying run before Tyler Moore lifted a sac-fly.

With Hardy on to pitch in the fifth, K-State tacked on three more thanks to Clayton Dalrymple’s squeeze-bunt single and Jake Wodtke’s two-run double.

Freshman designated hitter Ivan Vera, West Virginia’s top hitter at .432, lifted a sac-fly that trimmed the margin to 6-3 in the sixth.

First baseman Jackson Cramer had a single and walked to reach base for the 50th consecutive game.

Saturday’s first pitch is slated for 4 p.m.





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