AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas picked up its third consecutive Big 12 series win after topping No. 23 Kansas State 6-3 on Saturday in Manhattan.
Saturday’s win followed Friday’s wild 21-11 victory in which the Longhorns hammered 22 hits and scored 10 runs combined in the last two innings.
In the finale Saturday, Kansas State cut Texas’ lead to 4-3 going into the ninth, but Jared Thomas and Peyton Powell had answers. The pair hit back-to-back solo home runs to stretch the Longhorns’ lead to 6-3 and Andre Duplantier II notched his second save of the season with a clean inning. The homers came off Wildcats reliever Tyson Neighbors, a 2023 All-American who shut down Texas in the Big 12 tournament last season.
Kansas State outhit Texas 11-6 in the game and the Wildcats left 11 runners on base.
Max Grubbs had another strong start for Texas, allowing an unearned run on six hits with five strikeouts and a walk. He threw 88 pitches to get through 25 batters. It was Grubbs’ fourth win of the season.
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Friday’s win was nuts. Rylan Galvan had five hits, three of them doubles, with five RBIs to lead the Texas hit parade. Jalin Flores and Max Belyeu notched four hits each and Jared Thomas and Dee Kennedy collected three. Belyeu also drove in five runs including a 2-run homer in the eighth and a 2-run double in the ninth. The Longhorns scored seven runs in the ninth to put the game away. Galvan and Kennedy drove in runs with doubles in the final frame.
In addition to Belyeu’s dinger, Flores, Thomas and Kennedy also hit home runs.
Gage Boehm picked up the win in relief, pitching 1 2/3 innings of shutout ball. Ace Whitehead didn’t factor into the decision as the starter. He pitched 5 1/3 innings and was cruising until the sixth. He allowed five earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and two walks.
Texas (17-11, 6-3 Big 12) hosts Abilene Christian at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and stays at UFCU Disch-Falk Field for a Big 12 series against BYU beginning Thursday.