Manhattan — Senior left-hander Ben Krauth allowed just one run over 81/3 innings, and Kansas University collected 11 hits off four Kansas State pitchers in a 4-1 Big 12 baseball victory over the Wildcats on Friday at Tointon Stadium.
Krauth (5-5) allowed five of the first seven batters he faced to reach base, including four in the first inning, when Kansas State plated its lone run.
But Krauth settled down, ultimately allowing just the one run off six hits, with nine strikeouts and three walks.
“Krauth was really special tonight,” KU coach Ritch Price said. “There was not one person in our dugout that didn’t want to win tonight. I wanted to take him out after the eighth — he was at 119 pitches — but he persuaded me otherwise, so I sent him back out in the ninth.”
He couldn’t quite finish. Closer Stephen Villines picked up his fifth save by allowing a hit over the final two-thirds of an inning.
Kansas (20-29-1 overall, 6-12 Big 12) and KSU (24-26, 6-13) will continue their series with a single game at 6:30 tonight at Tointon.
Kansas 010 010 200 — 4 11 0
Kansas State 100 000 000 — 1 7 0
W — Ben Krauth, 5-5. L — Parker Rigler, 4-7. Sv — Stephen Villines, 5.
2B — Devin Foyle, KU.
Kansas highlights — Krauth 81/3 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 9 K; Joe Moroney 3-for-4, 2 R; Joven Afenir 2-for-4, RBI; Ryan Pidhaichuk 2-for-4, RBI; Michael Tinsley 1-for-4, RBI.