Kansas State rallies to beat Wichita State 5-4 in 10 innings

The stage was set for a thrilling finish that would send Jake Wodtke to the bottom of a celebratory dog pile at first base Tuesday at Tointon Family Stadium. All he had to do was take advantage.

Wodtke knew this when he stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs and ripped a fastball from Taylor Goshen to left field for a single that gave Kansas State a 5-4 victory over Wichita State in 10 innings. The Wildcats trailed 4-0 in the fifth. So Wodtke smiled wide afterward.

“He had thrown a couple breaking balls in the dirt before that,” Wodtke said, “and obviously in a high-pressure situation with the crowd getting on him you know a fastball is probably coming. So I made sure to get my hands through it.”

What made the hit even better for Wodtke was the fact that he struck out in the ninth trying to tie the game.

“It’s a tough situation,” Wodtke said. “Everyone wants to get it done. A lot of guys tend to press. I did it earlier in the game. It’s not often you get a second chance at putting the winning run across and I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss at it.”

His teammates put him in an easier situation the second time around when Shane Conlon led off the 10th with a double to the left-field wall, and then loaded the bases with no outs. Wodtke came to the plate with two outs, but he felt at ease.

K-State (17-18) has not been a part of many comebacks this season – its last significant rally occurred nearly two months ago against Utah – but it kept its composure against Wichita State (13-23). Following a series victory against No. 3 TCU over the weekend, the Wildcats are starting to gain momentum.

“Our guys had a lot of resolve tonight,” K-State coach Brad Hill said. “We are kind of inching our way forward.”

Wichita State is heading in the opposite direction. It has now lost four in a row.

Coach Todd Butler left the stadium without speaking to media, but he had a long talk with his team in the visiting dugout. He was clearly disappointed the Shockers let this one slip away.

The feeling was understandable. Wichita State did a lot right Tuesday.

For starters, Ryan Tinkham continued his run of power. The junior first baseman clobbered two home runs over the left-field fence, helping the Shockers take a 4-0 lead in the fifth inning. He has hit five home runs in his past nine games.

And other than a three-run outburst from K-State in the bottom of the fifth, the Wildcats struggled to touch home plate.

For a while, it appeared as though Wichita State was on its way to a road victory.

But K-State’s bullpen, led by winning reliever Bryce Ward, was stronger than Wichita State’s. Goshen gave up runs in the ninth and 10th innings, taking the loss.

The Wildcats made things hard for him.

Having won four of their last five they are ready for another home series against Texas Tech starting Friday.

“This is great,” Conlon said. “Everyone is happy, especially for Wodtke. That is just great for him. The guys in the locker room have been real good all year. This will hopefully just take us into this weekend.”

This story was originally published April 14, 2015 at 10:50 PM with the headline "Kansas State rallies to beat Wichita State 5-4 in 10 innings."