Thompson’s Career-Long Outing Sparks Shutout Victory
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LEXINGTON, Ky. – Zack Thompson pitched a career-high 6.2 innings of scoreless baseball and Evan White crushed a three-run home run as part of a career-high four-RBI night to lead No. 10 Kentucky to an 8-0 win in front of 2,511 fans at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
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The Wildcats moved to 23-11 overall and will take their 8-4 record and first place standing in the Southeastern Conference play on the road to Missouri this weekend for a three-game series. The win over UT Martin improved the Cats’ record at home to 16-2 on the season and was the 700th at Cliff Hagan Stadium since its opening in 1979.
Thompson suffocated the Skyhawks all evening, mixing his low-90s fastball with a devastating curve to keep them off balance. The freshman lefty from Selma, Ind. struck out three of the first four hitters in the game and deftly maneuvered around the limited trouble he created for himself early in the game. He tied a career-high with eight strikeouts and lowered his season ERA a full run.
White and senior outfielder Zach Reks provided the fireworks for the Cats’ offense, each drilling home runs. Reks got things started early with a no-doubt solo shot to right field in the first, earning his eighth game-winning RBI of the season. White capped the evening with a three-run blast to left field that tied his career-high for RBI.
SCORING
Bottom 1st – Zach Reks homered to RF. UK 1, UTM 0.
Bottom 4th – Evan White walked and Reks singled. Kole Cottam’s drive CF was caught on the warning track but White advanced to third. Riley Mahan singled to LF, scoring White. UK 2, UTM 0.
Bottom 5th – Connor Heady walked and moved to third on Tristan Pompey’s single. White hit a SAC fly to deep CF, scoring Heady. UK 3, UTM 0.
Bottom 7th – Troy Squires walked. Heady was hit by a pitch. White hit a three-run home run to LF. UK 6, UTM 0.
Bottom 8th – Riley Mahan doubled to RCF, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Tyler Marshall’s ground ball to 1B. Marshall moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a fielding error by the second baseman of T.J. Collett’s ground ball. UK 8, UTM 0.
NOTES
• Kentucky is now 16-2 at home this season.
• The win is Kentucky’s 700th at Cliff Hagan Stadium, which was opened in 1979.
• Senior OF Zach Reks went 2-for-4 with a solo home run.
o It was Reks’ 14th multi-hit game of 2017 and 24th of his career.
o The home run was his second of the season and ninth of his UK career.
• Junior 1B Evan White went 1-for-2 with two runs scored, a three-run HR and four RBI.
o White now has 183 career hits, good for 18th place on UK’s career hits list.
o White’s four RBI are a season-high and tie his career-high, set against Buffalo on March 5, 2016.
• Sophomore OF Tristan Pompey went 1-for-4 with a single.
o Pompey now has hit safely in 21 of his past 23 games.
• Freshman LHP Zack Thompson pitched 6.2 innings, giving up five hits, no runs and striking out eight hitters.
o The 6.2 innings set a new career-high, besting the 6.0 innings he worked twice earlier this season.
o His eight strikeouts tied his career-high in a game.
o He threw a career-high 113 pitches.
ON DECK
Kentucky travels to Missouri for a three-game series beginning Friday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m. at Taylor Stadium. Fans can listen on the UK Sports Network via UKathletics.com and iHeart Radio, as well as on 630 AM WLAP, and watch on SECN+.
