Release from the K-State Athletics Department

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Tyler Wolfe and Steve Serratore each had three two-out RBI while Levi MaVorhis threw seven shutout innings to lead K-State to an 8-1 win over UC Riverside on Sunday at the Riverside Sports Complex.

 K-State (2-1) busted out for season-highs in runs and hits (9) in the young season, keyed by Wolfe’s bases-clearing double in the fifth that capped a four-run frame. Serratore, meanwhile, had the game’s first run-producing hit in the first, a two-out RBI double, and punched back for the Wildcats in the ninth with a two-run single after UC Riverside (1-2) scored its only run in the bottom of the eighth. The three RBI for both Wolfe and Serratore, former teammates at Des Moines Area Community College, matched their respective career-highs.

 The Wildcats drove in all eight of their runs with two outs.

 “It’s been kind of a struggle. We’ve had some opportunities for big hits and haven’t gotten it,” said K-State head coach Brad Hill. “Yesterday, Wolfe hit the ball on the nose four times and did not have a hit to show for it. He stayed with the same approach today, and did not try to do too much. Serratore’s hit really put the game away. They scored one (in the eighth), but we came back to score two. That’s what I like to call a ‘death blow.’ That put the game away from us.”

 The offensive outburst supported MaVorhis’ first appearance since April of last season. The senior surrendered four hits, including just one after the second inning, and struck out five against one walk in the winning decision. The five strikeouts were his most since March 14, 2014 when he had eight against Northern Colorado.

 Also, the victory for MaVorhis, his first since April 12, 2015 vs. TCU, was the 14th of his career – which are tied for the 11th-most in K-State history.

 “Another quality start for us,” said Hill about MaVorhis as all three K-State starters so far in the series have turned in a quality outing. “He was really composed on the mound and made good pitches.”

 After Serratore delivered the RBI double in the first to give K-State an early 1-0 lead, the Wildcats staged their biggest threat in the fifth. Sparked by a leadoff walk from Quintin Crandall, K-State went on to load the bases following a single by Brooks Zimmerman, his first career hit, and a free pass drawn by Josh Ethier. Clayton Dalrymple then hit into a force out at the plate, but Jake Wodtke hustled out a high-chopping infield single to score Zimmerman and keep the inning alive. Wolfe proceeded Wodtke with a deep drive to the left field warning track that emptied the bases and staked the Wildcats to a 5-0 advantage.

 Wodtke struck again in the seventh with another infield RBI single that drove in Dalrymple and added to the lead. With two outs, Dalrymple ripped a 2-0 pitch into right field to reach with his second hit of the day. The senior promptly stole second on the first pitch during Wodtke’s at-bat and reached third on the play after catcher Drake Zarate’s throw sailed into center field.

 The two RBI for Wodtke helped him finish the day 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored. It was his second straight two-hit game as he has a hit in all three games this season and is batting .500 (5-for-10).