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University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Kansas State
Kansas State Uses Six-Run Fourth to Defeat Gophers
3/13/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 13, 2012
The University of Minnesota baseball team dropped its third-straight contest in a 9-5 loss to Kansas State, tonight, at the H.H.H. Metrodome. The Golden Gophers and Wildcats were tied, 3-3, before KSU added a six-run fourth inning for the win. Minnesota drops to 7-9 on the season, while KSU improves to 10-6 this year. Minnesota is now 7-2 all-time against the Wildcats, dating back to 1993.
Minnesota was led by Troy Larson, who went 3-5 and two runs scored, while Dan Olinger went 2-4 with a RBI. With his hit in the third inning, Olinger extended his hit streak to 10 games. Minnesota had RBIs from four different players, while the Gophers' fifth run was scored by a wild pitch.
Kansas State pushed two across in the top of the first when Blair DeBord delivered a one-out gapper to right center, scoring Ross Kivett and Tanner Witt for an early 2-0 lead. However, Larson started the Minnesota offense with a double down the right field line in the first inning. Andy Henkemeyer pushed him to third with a sacrifice bunt, while Kurt Schlangen had the RBI to put the game at 2-1 after one.
After Kansas State added another run in the top of the third, Minnesota responded and tied the game at 3-3 with two runs in the bottom of the third. Like the first inning, Larson led off with a double. Henkemeyer advanced Larson to third, while Schlangen walked to put runners on first and third with one out. Olinger stepped up and drove in Larson with his eighth double and eighth RBI of the season. Schlangen would later score the tying run on a wild pitch by KSU starter Shane Conlon.
However, the Wildcats put on six runs, primarily due to Wade Hinkle's grand slam when he drove a pitch to right field for his third home run of the season.
Minnesota attempted the comeback when it scored a run in the eighth and ninth innings, but couldn't erase the Wildcat lead. Henkemeyer, who led off the eighth with a double, scored off a Matt Puhl fielder's choice to cut the KSU lead to 9-4. The Gophers added another run in the ninth inning when JT Canakes and David Bettenburg started things off with back-to-back hits. Larson added his third hit of the game, while Henkemeyer scored Canakes on a groundout to second for the 9-5 final.
DJ Snelten had his first loss of the season when he surrendered five runs. Kansas State's Gerado Esquivel came in relief for Conlon and picked up the win.
Minnesota looks to return to the win column tomorrow at 3 p.m.
