2010 NCAA Regional Baseball Tournament: Fayetteville Regional

In an episode of the now-defunct series “The West Wing,” the staff of the President of the United States decides on a plan: “Let Bartlett be Bartlett.”

That plan sure worked for the Washington State Cougars on Friday afternoon in the Ozarks.

Second baseman Cody Bartlett hit a two-run, tie-breaking home run in the eighth inning to provide No. 23 Washington State an 8-6 victory over Kansas State in the NCAA Fayetteville Regional. The Cougars get to advance to the winners’ bracket and enhance their chances of moving on to next weekend’s super regionals.

Bartlett's homer was his third base knock of the night. His game-winner came off Kansas State closer James Allen (5-1). The fact that this was Allen’s first loss of the entire season shows how good Allen has been in 2010. Accordingly, the big blast from Bartlett stands as an even more amazing feat. Wazzu should surge with confidence after besting KSU’s top reliever in a high-stakes showdown. If these teams meet again in an elimination game on Sunday, Allen might doubt himself in the face of the WSU lineup.

Allen, the third Wildcats' pitcher, relieved to start the eighth with the game tied 6-6. He walked Jay Ponciano with one out before retiring pinch hitter Patrick Claussen on a pop up. Bartlett then laced a 1-1 pitch over the outfield wall to put the Cougars on top.

Adam Conley blanked Kansas State in the ninth for the save. Connor Lambert (5-1), the third of four Cougar hurlers, picked up the victory after getting out of trouble in the eighth with KSU trying to take the lead.
The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead in the fourth off Cougar starter Chad Arnold, but WSU tied the game in the bottom of the frame against Kansas State starter Kyle Hunter on singles by Bartlett, Matt Fanelli and Michael Weber.

The Cougars took a 3-1 lead with two runs in the fifth. Matt Argyropoulos led off with a single and Ponciano sacrificed him to second. Kyle Johnson gave WSU a one-run advantage with a RBI-single and one out later, Derek Jones doubled in the right-center field gap to score Johnson.

Kansas State rallied for three runs in the sixth to gain a 4-3 lead and chase Arnold. The Wildcats added a pair of runs, one earned, in the seventh off Cougar reliever Paris Shewey to grab a 6-3 bulge.

WSU tied the game in the bottom seventh with a three-run fightback. Bartlett singled with one out. An error gave the Cougars two baserunners and Bartlett stole third to put runners at the corners. Evan Marshall relieved Hunter for KSU and was greeted by Fanelli's two-run double, which cut the Wildcats' lead to 6-5. One out later, Garry Kuykendall tied the game with a pinch-hit RBI triple.

Washington State plays the regional's top seed and host, the Arkansas Razorbacks, on Saturday at 8:05 p.m. Eastern time.

Washington State vs Kansas State - NCAA Regional Baseball Recap