Butler Shines, but K-State Falls in Extra-Inning Battle

K-State was down to their last strike in game three, leading 9–7 and on the verge of completing a weekend series sweep over the Oklahoma State Cowboys. However, Garrett Shull smacked a three-run home run in the top of the ninth to give Oklahoma State a 10–9 lead. The Cowboys ultimately went on to win 12–10 in 13 innings.

Tazwell Butler had a stellar outing, going six innings while allowing three hits and four runs (three earned), and striking out 11. Three of those runs came on the aforementioned ninth-inning home run. That one swing shouldn’t define Butler’s performance, as he was the main reason K-State held the lead going into the ninth.

Despite the bitter ending, K-State played well throughout the weekend. They took game one 11–3, with James Guyette earning his fifth win of the season after going seven innings and striking out 12. They followed that with a 13–9 win in game two, fueled by nine runs scored in the seventh and eighth innings.

AJ Evasco appears to be heating up again, recording multi-hit games in each contest this past weekend. He totaled eight hits, four RBIs, and a home run in the series. This comes after the TCU series, where he had just three hits over the weekend and got a day off against Wichita State during the week.

The Bat Cats are back in action tonight against Omaha, who sits at 11–17 on the season. They were swept by Arizona State and dropped three out of four games to Wichita State earlier in the year. Simply put, K-State should be able to take control and come away with a win. That said, we’ve seen some strange things happen this season, so nothing is guaranteed.