MANHATTAN, Kan. — The Holy Cross baseball team fell just short in a 5-4 result at No. 24 Kansas State on Sunday, Feb. 25. 

STATS LEADERS:
Holy Cross (2-4)
Gardiner (3.0 IP, two hits, no runs, no walks, three strikeouts)
Sandell (2-for-3, home run, two runs scored)
C. Bryant (home run)
King (double, RBI)

Kansas State (4-3)
Boerema (W, 5.2 IP, two earned runs, four hits, 11 strikeouts)
Lobliner (2-for-4, home run, three RBI)
Ingram (2-for-3, double, stolen base, two runs scored)
Rivera (3-for-3, two stolen bases)

THE DECISION:
W: Boerema (1-0) 
L: Walters (0-2) 
S: Wentworth (2)

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• With a Kansas State runner on third in the bottom of the first, freshman center fielder Gianni Royer continued his strong defensive weekend with a catch at the wall to end the inning and keep things scoreless.
• Freshman second baseman Alex Sandell hit a solo home run to put Holy Cross on the board in the top of the second. 
• In the bottom half of the second, a leadoff double came around to score for the Wildcats; Scanlon worked around a bases-loaded jam to prevent further damage.
• The Wildcats scraped across three runs in the third to build a 4-1 lead, and extended the lead to 5-1 by the fourth after an RBI single.
• The Crusaders began to chip away at the deficit, with Sandell drawing a one-out walk in the top of the sixth and junior shortstop Jimmy King doubling to send him home. After a misplayed fly ball to right field, freshman catcher Colin Brown scored from third to make it a 5-3 game in the top of the seventh. 
• Holy Cross cut within 5-4 after sophomore third baseman Cam Bryant launched a home run to right field in the top of the eighth. 
• Freshman reliever Lion Gardiner spun a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth, but the Crusaders were unable to rally further in the top of the ninth, after a sharp lineout to first, a deep drive by Royer caught at the warning track and a called third strike. 

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE: 

• Both Sandell and Bryant hit their first collegiate home runs. 
• After not hitting any home runs during their opening weekend series vs. William & Mary, the Crusaders totaled seven home runs in their series with Kansas State. 

DUE UP: 

• The Crusaders will begin their spring break trip with a four-game series at the University of Hawaii. 
• Game 1 is scheduled for Friday, March 1, with first pitch set for 11:30 p.m. ET. 

FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS 
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