K-State ousts Tech from Big 12 tourney with suicide squeeze in 11th

ARLINGTON — Texas Tech has learned that making a run at the Big 12 baseball tournament is not a prerequisite for making a lot of noise in the more important games that come during the NCAA postseason.

In 10 seasons under Tim Tadlock, the Red Raiders have a much better record in the latter than in the former.

The Tech coach says that doesn't make it any easier to shake off another quick exit from the conference tournament.

"Any time you line up and play a baseball game, you play to win," Tadlock said after his team was sent home by Kansas State on Friday night with a 6-5 loss in 11 innings. "No, it doesn't make it easier, because I think we all know you have to earn the right to win to keep moving forward in the postseason. They don't just give you those games. They don't give you the ones here either."

On Saturday, No. 5 seed Texas and No. 4 seed Oklahoma State will play one bracket final starting at 9 a.m. at Globe Life Field and No. 3 seed Oklahoma and No. 7 seed Kansas State will play the other bracket final starting at 12:30 p.m. UT and OU, the last undefeated teams, each need one win to advance to Sunday's championship, whereas OSU and K-State have to win twice on Saturday.

Tech was getting ready to get on the bus Saturday. The Red Raiders will find out whom they next play and where during the NCAA tournament selection show at 11 a.m. Monday on ESPN2. 

In a 4-hour, 7-minute game at Globe Life Field, K-State took advantage of a break to score the winning run. Cole Johnson led off the 11th with a high fly down the left-field line that glanced off Easton Murrell's glove for a two-base error.

Kaelen Culpepper bunted Johnson to third. Then Johnson broke for home, and there was no play to be made at the plate after Josh Nicoloff perfectly executed a suicide squeeze.

"To me, I was playing with house money," K-State coach Pete Hughes said. "They misplayed a fly ball. You get a guy at second base. We hadn't been very productive getting the big hit the entire night, so we thought we'd give them a different look.

"Josh would be the first one to tell you he hasn't been feeling great at the plate. I trust him — he's a veteran player — to get a bunt down, especially a squeeze, so I thought I was putting him in the best situation to have success."

The unearned run made a hard-luck loser of Tech reliever Brandon Beckel (0-1), who came on to start the 11th.

Foul territory down the left-field line is narrow at the Texas Rangers' three-year-old stadium. On the ball Johnson hit, Murrell raced in and to the line, but overran the ball slightly and had it bounce off his glove and fall in fair territory.

"That ball almost hit the roof," Tadlock said. "When it went past us, I was like, 'Don't hit the roof,' because you play it live in this ballpark if it hits the roof and it's fair. If you're going to do anything, you're going to overrun it, because you're trying to get to the wall. ...

"You've got the wall. You've got the roof. It's not the easiest fly ball. It's not a routine fly ball, I don't think." 

Two-way player Dylan Phillips, the Wildcats' 3-hole hitter, pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his eighth save. 

Ty Coleman drove in three runs for Tech with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning and a two-run double in the sixth that tied the score 3-3. Coleman was at third with two outs when a bad pickoff throw to first allowed him to score.

K-State needed only two swings in the seventh to pull even. Leadoff batter Dominic Johnson doubled off the base of the wall in left and Brady Day singled him home, finishing Tech starter Brandon Birdsell.

Tech regained the lead in the bottom of the inning. Parker Kelly lined a bullet over the left fielder for a double, and Dillon Carter's single made it 5-4. That was the Red Raiders' last hit.

They had a chance in the 10th after Carter walked, was sacrificed to second and the Wildcats intentionally walked Jace Jung with two outs. Coleman lined a ball to right that hung up long enough for Cash Rugely to come in and snag it.

The Wildcats tied it again in the ninth when Austin Becker uncorked a wild pitch with the bases loaded.

The night before, Oklahoma sent Tech to the elimination bracket, beating the Red Raiders for the fourth time in five games this season.

Tadlock said, "I'll take full responsibility for guys maybe not playing at the highest level they can."

"Obviously, there's work to be done," he said. "We've got to do things, got to play better, play a better brand of baseball."

KANSAS STATE 6, TEXAS TECH 5 (11 innings)

Kansas State    030    000    101    01    —    6    12    0

Texas Tech    000    103    100    00   —    5    7    3

Fajardo, Corsentino (6), Ruhl (7), Phillips (11) and Mitchell, Pelletier (10); Birdsell, Bridges (7), Becker (8), Devine (10), Beckel (11) and Stilwell. W—Ruhl (5-2). L—Beckel (0-1). Sv—Phillips (8). 2B—Kansas State, C. Johnson (14), D. Johnson (20); Texas Tech, Coleman (14), Kelly (19). HR—Kansas State, Goodwin (11). Records: Kansas State 29-28, Texas Tech 37-20.