MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Kansas State used a six-run third inning to build a 7-2 lead over visiting Missouri State here Tuesday on the way to a 10-4 victory over the Bears at Tointon Stadium.

    The Bears dropped to 21-14 with the loss, while KSU improved to 21-15.

    Kansas State loaded the bases in each of the first three innings but trailed 2-1 thanks to Brett Marshall’s two-out, two-run single in the second before K-State’s Tanner Witt tied the game with a one-out single in the third. Pierce Johnson’s fourth and fifth walks followed to give the Wildcats a 3-2 lead, and Ross Kivett’s RBI single ended Johnson’s night after seven outs, bringing Jake Powers into a bases-loaded, one-out situation trailing 4-2.

    Nick Martini greeted Powers with a two-run double, and Jason King hit a sacrifice fly to complete KSU’s six-run inning and leave the Bears in a 7-2 hole.

    The Wildcats loaded the bases yet again in the fourth and got a two-out, two-run single from Kivett to extend their lead to 9-2. Powers retired seven in row after Kivett’s single to finish his 3.2 innings of relief.

    Tyler Paxson’s two-out, pinch-hit single to center drove in Marshall and Spiker Helms and pulled the Bears to a 9-4 score in the fifth, and the score remained the same until Jason King’s two-out single in the seventh extended the KSU lead to 10-4.

    Johnson (3-4) took the loss for the Bears, and KSU starter Justin Lindsey improved to 4-1.

    Kevin Medrano led the Bears’ offense with three hits, while Marshall and Helms added two. MSU was out-hit 13-10 by the Wildcats.

     Missouri State resumes Missouri Valley Conference play at 6:30 p.m. Friday when it hosts Indiana State (19-16, 2-4 MVC) to begin a three-game league series.