MANHATTAN, Kan. - Ryne Stanek wasn’t sharp, but the big right-hander was plenty good enough to pull Arkansas through an elimination game Saturday at the NCAA Manhattan Regional.
Stanek (10-2) gave up just two hits, including a home run for his first earned run allowed since May 4, but expertly dodged damage after walking a season-high six in 71/3 innings as the Razorbacks topped Wichita State 3-1 at Tointon Family Stadium.
“To walk six is not very good, not something I ever would like to do again, but … you have to go out there and do your job and get outs,” said Stanek, who won his fifth consecutive start. “That’s all I did.”
SUNDAY'S TICKET
Arkansas (38-21) vs. Bryant (45-17-1)
WHAT: NCAA Tournament Elimination Game
WHEN: 2:05 p.m.
WHERE: Tointon Family Stadium, Manhattan, Kan.
INTERNET: ESPN3.com
Arkansas (38-21) advanced to another elimination game today at 2 p.m. against the loser of Saturday’s night game between regional host Kansas State and Bryant University. Wichita State (39-28) went 0-2 in the regional and was outscored 23-12 by Arkansas and Kansas State as its season came to a close.
“This is big,” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. “It would have been hugely disappointing to go 0-2 here. For us to get to [today], anything can happen.”
Freshman Tyler Spoon, inserted in the clean-up spot for the first time, delivered with a sharply hit two-run single in the first inning off A.J. Ladwig (5-6) to get Arkansas out of a scoring slump and give Stanek early breathing room.
“He kept throwing some good sliders away, and he finally left one up,” Spoon said. “I was able to take advantage of it and just line it to center, finally get some momentum at the plate offensively and get some runs for Stanek, and he basically takes care of the rest.”
Stanek’s 113-pitch performance did not match some of his recent performances, but he still improved his earned run average to 1.39, allowing just a sixth-inning single - aside from the walks - after Casey Gillaspie’s fourth inning home run. He held the Shockers to 0 for 3 with runners in scoring position and helped out an Arkansas bullpen that needed only 16 pitches to record the final five outs.
Colby Suggs pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 13th save, a school single-season record.
Shortstop Brett McAfee made a diving stop on a sharp liner and then doubled off Tanner Dearman at first base in the first inning. Then Stanek struck out Erik Harbutz and retired Michah Green on a routine fly to center with runners at second and third in the second inning.
“The first two innings we had some opportunities, some really good opportunities, against Stanek and he was able to wiggle off,” Wichita State Coach Gene Stephenson said.
Stanek walked two in both the second and fifth innings, but the Shockers could not break through with a big hit with runners on base.
“Even though we only had a two-run lead, we felt like we were in control of the game,” Van Horn said.
“Mechanically, I had some things that I wasn’t doing right today causing some bad pitches and causing my pitch count to get way up there,” Stanek said. “If I wouldn’t have walked six, I probably would’ve eliminated probably 20 pitches off my total, which would’ve been big.”
Stanek gave up a fourth-inning home run to clean-up hitter Gillaspie, snapping a streak of 26 1/3 scoreless innings as Wichita State pulled to within 2-1.
Gillaspie fouled off a couple of pitches with a 1-2 count before launching his shot, which was boosted by a stiff breeze that was blowing out to right field.
“I had seen all of his pitches up to that point, so I felt pretty confident,” Gillaspie said. “He left a fastball kind of inside a little bit and I was lucky to get the barrel there. I squared it up pretty good.”
The Razorbacks broke out of their hitting slump with 12 hits - all singles - but struggled to produce runs for the third game in a row after Spoon’s two-run single in the first.
Arkansas went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position after Spoon’s delivery, the lone hit coming on McAfee’s RBI flare to left field in the seventh after Jacob Mahan and Jake Wise opened the inning with singles.
McAfee’s hit chased Ladwig, and left-handed reliever Aaron LaBrie promptly induced a double-play grounder from Joe Serrano and retired Dominic Ficociello on a ground ball to third.
“We came out today and played a real clean game, no errors, made the plays and got some hits,” Van Horn said. “We could have scored a few more runs, but we got our hits. We hit some balls hard.”
KANSAS STATE 7, BRYANT 1
Jared King made a key diving catch and hit a two-run home run as Kansas State (43-17) beat Bryant (45-17-1).
King’s diving grab in center field with runners in scoring position to end the fifth inning preserved a 1-1 tie. In the top of the sixth, King hit a double with runners at the corners to push the Wildcats ahead by two runs. King also scored on a passed ball to extend the lead to three, and Kansas State scored another run to lead by four after the inning.
Bryant trailed after the Wildcats scored a run in the top of the first but came back to tie it in the bottom of the inning on a ground out by John Mullen.
Joe Flattery (5-4) earned the victory for Kansas State, while Bryant’s Craig Schlitter (10-4) took the loss.
Sports, Pages 21 on 06/02/2013