SURPRISE, Ariz. (Interstat) — West Virginia used a three-run sixth inning to defeat Kansas State 4-2 on Thursday night at Surprise Stadium, taking the opener of a Big 12 series.

The Mountaineers, who improved to 38-13, struck first in the bottom of the first inning. Gavin Kelly hit his 13th home run of the season, a solo shot that gave West Virginia a 1-0 lead.

The game remained a pitchers’ duel until the bottom of the sixth. Sean Smith led off with a single through the left side and stole second base. Matthew Graveline sacrificed Smith to third with a bunt. Armani Guzman then bunted for an infield single, driving in Smith to tie the game at 1-1. Brodie Kresser followed with a single to shallow right field, moving Guzman to third. Kresser stole second, and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Guzman scored on the wild pitch to give West Virginia a 2-1 lead, and Kresser moved to third. Brock Wills then singled to right field, scoring Kresser and pushing the lead to 3-1. Kansas State made a pitching change, bringing in Miles Smith, who induced a double play from Tyrus Hall to end the inning, but the damage had been done. The Mountaineers led 4-1.

Kansas State answered in the top of the seventh. Bear Madliak singled through the left side but was caught stealing at second base. Shintaro Inoue walked, and Grant Gallagher hit his fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot to left-center that scored Inoue and cut the deficit to 4-3. West Virginia countered with a pitching change, bringing in Ian Korn, who retired the next three batters to end the threat. Korn struck out Cadyn Karl and Dee Kennedy, then got Kyan Lodice to fly out.

The Wildcats could not mount another rally. In the eighth, Ty Smolinski flied out, Carlos Vasquez struck out and Kyan Lodice had already struck out in the inning. In the ninth, AJ Evasco singled, but Madliak struck out, Inoue flied out and Gallagher struck out to end the game.

Kansas State, now 29-26, managed only four hits. West Virginia collected 11 hits. Tyrus Hall, Sean Smith, Matthew Graveline, Armani Guzman, Brodie Kresser and Brock Wills each contributed to the Mountaineers’ attack. For Kansas State, Miles Smith pitched 2⅓ scoreless innings of relief, allowing one hit and striking out one.

The game was the fourth meeting between the two teams this season. West Virginia swept a three-game series in Manhattan, Kansas, from May 1-3, outscoring the Wildcats 29-7. The Mountaineers have now won four straight against Kansas State.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of West Virginia 7, Kansas State 4. Interstat’s ELO system gave West Virginia a 62.70 percent probability to win. West Virginia was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5.