MANHATTAN, Kan. (Interstat) — Bear Madliak homered twice and drove in four runs, Ty Smolinski went a perfect 4-for-4, and the Kansas State Wildcats erupted for eight runs in the first two innings to power past the SIU Edwardsville Cougars 14-5 on Friday night at Tointon Family Stadium.

The Wildcats (8-3) overwhelmed the Cougars (5-9) early, erasing a five-run deficit before many in the crowd of 2,114 had settled into their seats. The offensive barrage backed a mixed outing from starter James Guyette, who earned the win despite allowing all five SIUE runs over six innings of work. He struck out eight but surrendered seven hits, including three home runs.

The most important sequence of the game came immediately after SIU Edwardsville had staked itself to an early lead. The Cougars, held hitless in the top of the first, scored five runs in the second inning on a two-run homer by Terrick Thompson-Allen and a two-run shot by Joshua Heyder. Instead of folding, Kansas State answered with ferocity in the home half of the first.

Facing an early 5-0 hole, the Wildcats loaded the bases with one out on a single by Kaelen Bolin and walks to Kyan Lodice and David Kennedy. AJ Evasco then crushed the first pitch he saw from SIUE starter Jack Phillips for a grand slam to right-center field, instantly slashing the deficit to one run and electrifying the home dugout.

Kansas State never looked back. In the second inning, Smolinski and Madliak hit back-to-back solo home runs to give the Wildcats a lead they would not relinquish. Lodice followed with a triple and scored on an Evasco double, prompting a pitching change. After a walk, Nick Inoue doubled home another run to cap a four-run inning and extend the lead to 8-5.

The Wildcats added single runs in the third and fourth innings, with Smolinski’s two-run double in the fourth being a key blow. After Thompson-Allen hit his second homer of the night, a solo shot in the sixth to make it 11-5, the Wildcats put the game out of reach in the seventh. Madliak launched his second homer of the game, a three-run blast to left field off reliever Andrew Ressler, to provide the final 14-5 margin.

Madliak, the Wildcats’ catcher, broke out of a brief slump with his 2-for-4, four-RBI performance. Smolinski finished 4-for-4 with a home run, two doubles and three RBIs. Evasco’s first-inning grand slam accounted for the bulk of his five RBIs on a 2-for-4 night.

For the Cougars, Thompson-Allen was the bright spot, going 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs. Heyder added a two-run homer. The SIUE pitching staff struggled to contain the Wildcats’ potent lineup, which racked up 15 hits and drew five walks.

Kansas State relievers Adam Arther and James Guyette shut the door over the final three innings. Arther was particularly dominant, striking out four and allowing just one hit over three scoreless frames. The Wildcats’ defense also turned two double plays.

The victory improved Kansas State to 8-3 on the season, while SIU Edwardsville fell to 5-9. The two teams are scheduled to continue their three-game series on Saturday afternoon.

Statistical projections and team schedules were provided in the pre-game notes. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a Kansas State victory by a score of 7-3, while its ELO system gave the Wildcats a 79.40 percent probability to win.