Saturday, March 28
Salt Lake City, Utah
3 p.m.
Kansas State University
18-9, 4-4
11
at
13
Utah
14-10, 4-4
1st innning1
2nd innning2
3rd innning3
4th innning4
5th innning5
6th innning6
7th innning7
8th innning8
9th innning9
RunsR
HitsH
ErrorsE
Kansas State
0
0
0
6
1
1
0
3
0
11
13
0
University of Utah
1
3
0
1
0
0
3
5
X
13
21
0
Utah Scores Five Unanswered Runs to Upend K-State
Mar 28, 2026 | Baseball
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Utah's scored five unanswered runs in the bottom of the eighth to even the series Saturday, as the Utes defeated K-State, 13-11, at Charlie Monfort Field at America First Ballpark.
The two squads were neck-and-neck until the Wildcats (18-9, 4-4 Big 12) grabbed an 11-8 lead in the eighth behind home runs from Shintaro Inoue and Ty Smolinski. Utah (14-10, 4-4 Big 12) responded in the bottom of the inning, scoring five unanswered runs, that included a go-ahead three-run homer from Derek Smith – his second of the game.
"I thought I guys competed all game," head coach Pete Hughes said. "We always do, and right now it's not enough to just compete. We need to compete and get the job done – and we will. We've battled and took leads late, but have been unable to finish out games. We didn't beat ourselves today – [Utah] earned their hits and their runs. Our intent was there, and I know the results will come soon."
In addition to Inoue and Smolinski, Dee Kennedy and Grant Gallagher each homered in game two of the series, marking the team's fourth game with four or more home runs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Utah plated four runs with six hits over the first and second innings, highlighted by a two-RBI double from Jet Gilliam. Cohen Feser relieved left-handed starter Lincoln Sheffield in the third and set down the Utes in order, including back-to-back strikeouts.
After three quiet innings, Kennedy ended the drought with a towering 448-foot leadoff home run to left – his 12th of the season – sparking a six-run fourth inning for the Wildcats.
Gallagher and Bear Madliak each walked to bring AJ Evasco to the plate. The designated hitter singled to center to trim the deficit to two before Cadyn Karl walked to load the bases, forcing Utah to make its first call to the pen.
Carlos Vasquez welcomed the new arm with a bases-clearing double down the left field line, giving the Wildcats a 5-4 lead. Nick English followed with a double down the left field line to cap the surge.
The Utes answered with a run in the bottom of the inning, but Gallagher responded with a solo home run.
Utah trailed 8-5 until back-to-back home runs by Cal Miller and pinch hitter Derek Smith erased the Wildcats' lead.
Inoue and Smolinski each homered in the eighth to break the tie and put the Wildcats back on top, however, the lead was short lived, as Utah responded with five runs to put the game away.
INSIDE THE BOX
TEAM NOTES
PLAYER NOTES
ON DECK
The Wildcats look to go for the series win Sunday, with the rubber match scheduled for 2 p.m. CT at America First Ballpark. Sunday's matchup will broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app while radio coverage is available on KMAN.
– k-statesports.com –
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Baseball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
The two squads were neck-and-neck until the Wildcats (18-9, 4-4 Big 12) grabbed an 11-8 lead in the eighth behind home runs from Shintaro Inoue and Ty Smolinski. Utah (14-10, 4-4 Big 12) responded in the bottom of the inning, scoring five unanswered runs, that included a go-ahead three-run homer from Derek Smith – his second of the game.
"I thought I guys competed all game," head coach Pete Hughes said. "We always do, and right now it's not enough to just compete. We need to compete and get the job done – and we will. We've battled and took leads late, but have been unable to finish out games. We didn't beat ourselves today – [Utah] earned their hits and their runs. Our intent was there, and I know the results will come soon."
In addition to Inoue and Smolinski, Dee Kennedy and Grant Gallagher each homered in game two of the series, marking the team's fourth game with four or more home runs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Utah plated four runs with six hits over the first and second innings, highlighted by a two-RBI double from Jet Gilliam. Cohen Feser relieved left-handed starter Lincoln Sheffield in the third and set down the Utes in order, including back-to-back strikeouts.
After three quiet innings, Kennedy ended the drought with a towering 448-foot leadoff home run to left – his 12th of the season – sparking a six-run fourth inning for the Wildcats.
Gallagher and Bear Madliak each walked to bring AJ Evasco to the plate. The designated hitter singled to center to trim the deficit to two before Cadyn Karl walked to load the bases, forcing Utah to make its first call to the pen.
Carlos Vasquez welcomed the new arm with a bases-clearing double down the left field line, giving the Wildcats a 5-4 lead. Nick English followed with a double down the left field line to cap the surge.
The Utes answered with a run in the bottom of the inning, but Gallagher responded with a solo home run.
Utah trailed 8-5 until back-to-back home runs by Cal Miller and pinch hitter Derek Smith erased the Wildcats' lead.
Inoue and Smolinski each homered in the eighth to break the tie and put the Wildcats back on top, however, the lead was short lived, as Utah responded with five runs to put the game away.
INSIDE THE BOX
- Utah scored 13 runs on 21 hits, committed no errors and stranded 11 on base, while K-State plated 11 on 13 hits, with no errors and six left on base.
- Eleven different players contributed a hit for Utah, led by four hits from Cameron Gurney while Jake Long and Daniel Arambula each added two.
- Eight Wildcats recorded a hit with seven driving in an RBI.
- Kennedy led K-State with three hits (3-for-5) and two RBI, while English, Evasco and Vasquez added two.
- Vasquez drove in a team-leading three RBI followed by Inoue (2) and Kennedy (2).
- Reliever Kaden Soder (1-0) earned the win, surrendering two earned runs on two hits in one inning of work.
- Miles Smith (0-1) suffered the loss in relief, allowing four runs (earned) on five hits in one inning.
- Four Wildcats homered – Kennedy, Gallagher, Inoue, Smolinski.
- All nine hitters reached base for K-State.
TEAM NOTES
- K-State is 9-2 all-time against Utah, with a 1-1 record in games played in Salt Lake City.
- K-State has recorded nine six-run innings in 2026, while tallying 17 total innings scoring five or more runs.
- With the team's six-run fourth inning, the Wildcats have hit through the order 18 times this season.
- In 14 of 27 games, K-State has hit two or more home runs, posting a 9-3 record.
- The Wildcats have recorded 15 games with 10 or more hits (11-4) with five-game streak with 10+ hits, totaling 63 in the stretch (12.6 per game).
- Utah's 21 hits are the most allowed by the K-State pitching staff this season, surpassing the previous mark of 16 vs. Arizona State on March 21.
PLAYER NOTES
- With his first strikeout of the game, Sheffield recorded his 100th career strikeout at K-State.
- Kennedy registered his 11th multi-hit game and 13th game with two or more RBI.
- In his sixth relief appearance of the year, Feser punched out a season-high four, marking his second relief outing with three or more strikeouts.
ON DECK
The Wildcats look to go for the series win Sunday, with the rubber match scheduled for 2 p.m. CT at America First Ballpark. Sunday's matchup will broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app while radio coverage is available on KMAN.
– k-statesports.com –
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Baseball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Soder, Kaden (1-0)
L: Smith, Miles (0-1)
S: Lenius, Ian (1)
Batting:
2B: English, Nick 2 ; Kennedy, Dee 2 ; Madliak, Bear 1 ; Vasquez, Carlos 1
HR: Inoue, Shintaro 1 ; Kennedy, Dee 1 ; Smolinski, Ty 1 ; Gallagher, Grant 1
RBI: English, Nick 1 ; Inoue, Shintaro 2 ; Kennedy, Dee 2 ; Smolinski, Ty 1 ; Gallagher, Grant 1 ; Evasco, AJ 1 ; Vasquez, Carlos 3
SH: English, Nick 1
Base Running:
RUNS: English, Nick 1 ; Inoue, Shintaro 1 ; Kennedy, Dee 1 ; Smolinski, Ty 1 ; Gallagher, Grant 2 ; Madliak, Bear 1 ; Evasco, AJ 1 ; Karl, Cadyn 1 ; Vasquez, Carlos 2
CS: Evasco, AJ 1
Batting:
2B: Gilliam, Jet 1 ; Arambula, Daniel 1 ; Navarro, Bradley 1 ; Miller, Cal 1
3B: Long, Jake 1
HR: Miller, Cal 1 ; Smith, Derek 2
RBI: Gilliam, Jet 2 ; Arambula, Daniel 1 ; Gurney, Cameron 1 ; Noonan, Nevan 1 ; Jacobs, Luke 1 ; Miller, Cal 3 ; Smith, Derek 4
Base Running:
RUNS: Gilliam, Jet 1 ; Long, Jake 1 ; Arambula, Daniel 1 ; Gurney, Cameron 1 ; Jacobs, Luke 1 ; Hawkins, Zakye 2 ; Flaharty, Matt 1 ; Miller, Cal 2 ; Kleveno, Jack 1 ; Smith, Derek 2
HBP: Noonan, Nevan 1 ; Hawkins, Zakye 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
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