MANHATTAN, Kan. — Despite a furious comeback effort, BYU baseball came up a run short as it fell to Kansas State 7-6 in 12 innings on Thursday night at Tointon Family Stadium.
The Wildcats used two Cougar errors to jump out to a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth. BYU battled back to a 6-6 tie with three runs in the fifth, two in the seventh and a crucial, game-extending solo home run from Collin Reuter in the ninth. Cougar closer Stone Cushing helped push the game into a 12th inning before Kansas State scored the winning run.
“We battled back, we just had to score one more run or put one more ball in play,” said BYU head coach Trent Pratt. “It’s tough, it’s frustrating because we had our chances but we’ll come back and fight tomorrow.”
BYU’s six runs came on nine hits while 11 runners were left on base. Kansas State scored seven runs on seven hits while stranding five. Both teams recorded three errors a-piece.
Player Highlights
- · Cooper Vest: 3-6, Run, 4 RBI, HR
- Collin Reuter: 2-5, 2 Runs, RBI, HR
- Boston Mabeus: 2 IP, 4 Ks
The Wildcats took advantage of early errors and walks from BYU to go up 4-0 in the bottom of the third inning. A two-RBI homer then extended K-State’s lead to 6-0 through four.
The Cougars responded and cut the Wildcat lead in half with a three-run fifth inning. Reuter got the momentum going with a single to right. Cooper Vest then sent Reuter home with a 2-RBI bomb over the rightfield wall. Kuhio Aloy kept the Cougar bats hot with a double down the right field line, then advanced to third on a Parker Goff flyout. He later scored on a sacrifice fly courtesy of Crew McChesney.
BYU continued to claw its way back in the top of the seventh. Crew Robinson singled to third and promptly stole second to lead off the inning. The Cougars then loaded the bases with Luke Anderson reaching on a walk and Easton Jones a Wildcat error. Vest drove in two more runs with a single to right center that scored Robinson and Anderson, brigning the Cougars to within one at 6-5.
After a scoreless eighth, BYU sent the game to extra innings with a two-out home run over the left field wall by Reuter that squared the game at 6-6. Reuter’s solo shot came off of Kansas State’s 2023 First Team All-American closer Tyson Neighbors.
BYU’s pitching staff gave the Cougars a chance to tie the game in the ninth with a string of scoreless innings. Cutter Clawson barred Kansas State from reaching base in the fifth and sixth, Luke Sterner stranded a runner at third in the seventh and Boston Mabeus fanned four to send the game to extras.
Cushing combined with a solid BYU defense kept the Wildcats off the board through the 10th and 11th innings but a decisive base hit in the 12th gave Kansas State a 7-6 victory.
The Cougars and Wildcats are back at it on Friday at Tointon Family Stadium with gametime set for 6 p.m. CDT. Watch game two on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ or listen to live play-by-play on BYU Radio 107.9 FM/BYU Radio.org and the BYU Radio app.