STILLWATER, Okla. – The K-State baseball team was held to two hits on Sunday by Oklahoma State starting pitcher Michael Freeman, who carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning, as the Wildcats fell to the No. 12 Cowboys, 4-1, to lose the Big 12 series at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.

 

Despite being no-hit for 8 1/3 innings, the Wildcats (12-14, 1-5 Big 12) jumped out to a lead over Oklahoma State (19-8, 4-2 Big 12) in the sixth inning. Jake Wodtke led off the frame by reaching on an error by Cowboy second baseman Tim Arakawa. After Wodtke advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and then to third on a groundout, the redshirt sophomore scored on a passed ball to make it 1-0 Wildcats.

 

Oklahoma State, however, answered the lone Wildcat run in the bottom of the sixth with a sacrifice fly by Donnie Walton. The RBI by Walton, one of his game-high three, was set up when K-State starting pitcher Brandon Courville issued a leadoff walk to Jacob Chappell, who stole second base on the first pitch delivered by reliever Brandon Erickson to the next batter, Arakawa. Arakawa then moved Chappell to third with a sacrifice bunt to set up the game-tying play.

 

The Wildcats surrendered the game-deciding runs in the seventh when the Cowboys had six of their seven batters that came to the plate reach base with four hits and two walks. K-State reliever Corey Fischer was responsible for the first two runners, who reached via singles, while Jordan Floyd allowed one of the two runners to score. Although catcher Tyler Moore cleared the base paths by throwing out two attempted base stealers, Floyd allowed a two-out, two-run double to Walton that capped the scoring at 4-1.

 

If you liked the look of last year’s Final Four, you will love the 2015 edition.

One game — Kentucky vs. Wisconsin — is not only a matchup of two No. 1 seeds, it’s a replay of last year’s semifinal won by Kentucky 74-73.

Seventh-seeded Michigan State will face Duke, a four-time national champion led by coach Mike Krzyzewski, who is in his 12th Final Four, tying the legendary John Wooden.

It is the fifth time at least three No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four.

This is the third straight year one conference has had two teams in the Final Four with Wisconsin and Michigan State coming from the Big Ten. The Southeastern Conference did last year with Kentucky and Florida and the Big East had Louisville and Syracuse in 2013.

The Junction City Blue Jay boys tennis team went 1-2 in a quadrangular hosted by Washburn Rural on Saturday.

Junction City lost to Newton 8-1, defeated Wichita West 7-2,and fell to Washburn Rural 9-0.

The number two double team of Kyle Hand and Angeleau Scott of Junction City went 2-1 in their matches on the day.

Oklahoma State ( 18-8, 3-2 ) scored six runs with two outs in the first inning, and rolled on to a 12-3 victory over Kansas State ( 12-13, 1-4 )  Saturday in Stillwater.

K-State gave up seven hits in the first inning, six hits with two outs.

The Wildcats were outhit by Oklahoma State 15-7.  The two teams play again Sunday in Stillwater.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) – Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Pollock each hit their first homers of spring training in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 10-5 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.

Omar Infante had three hits, including two doubles, and Paulo Orlando drove in two runs for the Royals, who used a five-run seventh inning to win.

Alex Liddi’s two-run double tied it at 5 for the Royals in the seventh, and Gabriel Noriega singled to score Liddi and put Kansas City ahead. Orlando doubled home Noriega, and Moises Sierra capped the rally with an RBI double.

Pollock got the Diamondbacks’ first hit when he doubled off the right-field wall in the fourth. One out later, Goldschmidt homered to tie the game at 2. Arizona took its first lead in the fifth when Pollock homered with Nick Ahmed aboard to make it 4-3.

CLEVELAND (AP) – Pushed to the brink, Kentucky’s still perfect and still playing.

Andrew Harrison made two free throws with six seconds remaining, and the top-seeded Wildcats kept their unbeaten season and national title hopes intact with a 68-66 win over Notre Dame on Saturday night in the Midwest Regional final.

The Wildcats (37-0) advanced to the Final Four in Indianapolis next week, where they will meet Wisconsin. The Badgers defeated Arizona 85-78 to advance to the Final Four.

It took everything Kentucky had to hold off the Fighting Irish (32-6), who came within seconds of shocking the tournament’s overwhelming favorite. Notre Dame, which has a history of stunning upsets in football and basketball, wasn’t done until Jerian Grant’s double-clutched 3-pointer from the left corner was long.

Kentucky’s bench stormed the floor and the Wildcats celebrated knowing they had ducked a major challenge.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 25 to lead Kentucky.

UNDATED (AP) – The NCAA men’s basketball tournament is down to the Elite Eight. Top seed Duke will take on No. 2 Gonzaga in the South Regional final in Houston, and seventh-seeded Michigan State will take on No. 4 Louisville in the East Regional final at Syracuse.

Duke relied on its three freshman starters to lead a 63-57 triumph over No. 5 Utah. Justise Winslow 21 points and 10 rebounds as the Blue Devils advanced to the regional finals for the 14th time under coach Mike Krzyzewski (shuh-SHEHF’-skee). Tyus Jones finished with 15 points, and fellow freshman Jahlil Okafor (jah-LIHL’ OH’-kah-fohr) chipped in eight rebounds and six points.

Przemek Karnowski had 18 points and nine rebounds as Gonzaga knocked out No. 11 UCLA 74-62. The Bruins trailed just 35-34 early in the first half before the Bulldogs went on a 12-0 spurt to regain control. Kyle Wiltjer had eight points and 10 rebounds for the Bulldogs.

Michigan State is the lowest seed still alive after Denzel Valentine scored 13 of his 18 points in the second half of a 62-58 win over No. 3 Oklahoma. Travis Trice led the Spartans with 24 points, while Branden Dawson had 11 rebounds to help the Spartans get back to the Elite Eight for the second straight year.

Montrezl Harrell scored 24 points and Louisville kept its title hopes alive by downing North Carolina State 75-65 in Syracuse. Terry Rozier had 17 points and 14 rebounds for the Cardinals, who trailed 33-31 at halftime before reserve Anton Gill keyed a late game charge.

Kentucky, Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Arizona advanced to the Elite Eight by winning Thursday night. The Wildcats and Irish will play for the Midwest crown Saturday in Cleveland, and the Badgers will take on Arizona for West Region supremacy.

The South and East finals are Sunday.

Behind a season-high three RBIs by Shane Conlon and five shutout innings from the bullpen,the K-State baseball team knocked of No. 12 Oklahoma State, 4-2, on Friday at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium in

Stillwater to pick up their first Big 12 win of the season.

K-State ( 12-12, 1-3 Big 12 ) snapped a 12-game losing streak in conference road games with the victory.

Game two of the series is at three p.m. Saturday.

The Junction City Blue Jays jumped out to a 2-0 lead  in the second inning on a home run by Trae McDaniel,  and went on to defeat the Garden City Buffaloes 5-3 in the baseball season opener for both teams. Charlie Peyla drove in two runs for the Blue Jays.

Then in game two Junction City rolled to a 9-6 win over the Buffaloes. The game was tied 5-5 but the Blue Jays gradually expanded the lead to get the win.

Coach Drew Biery said Amir McFarthing went six innings to get the pitching win in game one, while Tate Zimmerman pitched five innings in game two, and was credited with the victory.

Biery agreed it was a great way to begin the season. “I was really proud of our guys. Tall task to take a five-hour bus ride, leave at 6 a.m., go play a good team like Garden City, and be able to come out of their with two wins. I’m very proud of our guys.”

The Blue Jays ( 2-0 ) host Emporia April 3 at Rathert Stadium.

The Junction City Lady Jay soccer team opener their 2015 season with a 7-2 loss at Wichita North Thursday evening.

Lady Jay coach Drew Proctor was concerned about his team’s inexperience coming into the season. “I found an old roster from two years ago, and we only have ten girls back from that roster two years ago. That just kind of shows our youth and inexperience, but for the most part a lot of these girls have been working really hard.

Proctor noted some simple mental mistakes probably cost the Lady Jays three goals.

Wichita North junior Dora Gallo scored five goals for her team in the win. Junction City got one goal from Cassidy Meadows, and one from Kayla Metheny.