Even though he hadn’t started a game in two years, Kansas University’s Eric Thompson looked anything but rusty in a 9-0 baseball victory over Washburn University on Tuesday at Hoglund Ballpark.
The senior right-hander set career highs with five strikeouts and six innings pitched, while holding the Ichabods scoreless to end the Jayhawks’ three-game losing streak.
See the 6News report on the game.
“It was fun to get up there, get the start,” Thompson said. “I thought I pitched well. I kept the ball down, pretty much let them hit it, put it in play and let the defense work behind me. I’m not a strikeout pitcher so that’s what I do.”
Two of his strikeouts stopped potential rallies, coming with two outs and two runners on base.
“I thought it was fantastic,” KU coach Bobby Randall said. “He threw a ton of strikes. Eric was ahead in the count, ahead in the count, ahead in the count, and when he needed a strikeout with men on base he got it. He’s been good for us all year. He’s just continued to get better and better.”
Thompson said he benefited from the nine runs of support.
“Guys hitting the ball makes it easy on us (pitchers),” he said. “They put up runs and it relaxes the pitcher. You don’t have to press as much.”
Ryan Klocksien and Kevin Wheeler provided much of the offense for Thompson. Klocksien went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, and Wheeler was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.
“I saw the ball pretty well,” Klocksien said. “I came out early and got some extra hits in. I felt pretty good up there at the plate.”
Klocksien was the designated hitter, getting some rest from his normal third baseman duties.
“You always have to like those,” Klocksien said of his day off from fielding, “but if I would have gone O-for, I think it would have been a different story because sometimes when you don’t do very well at the plate you can pick it up on the defensive side and that’s what I tend to do if I’m not having a very good day at the plate.”
Kansas improved to 20-29.
Kansas 9, Washburn 0
E Clurman, Wilson, Crooks, Nelson, Del Chiaro. DP – Washburn 2. LOB – Washburn 9, Kansas 9. 2B Clurman, Colley, Klocksien, Wheeler. SB Easterday, Appuhn, Stucky. SF – Klocksien, Wheeler.
WP Holloman. HBP by Thompson (Colley). |
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