Surging Thompson Pitches Cats to Bounce-Back Win

Through a nine-week stretch that saw Kentucky win all but one series, the Wildcats had the same mentality. When a game was in the past, it stayed there. Even the biggest of victories. 

So, when the Cats had to cope with failure for the first time in a while, they didn’t have to adjust their approach in the slightest.

Flush it, they always said.

“Tonight was just another example of how we don’t let things linger or bother us,” head coach Nick Mingione said. “We’re able to just flush it and move on.”

Coming off a weekend in which UK dropped a home series against Georgia and in turn saw its ranking and NCAA Tournament projections suffer accordingly, the Cats didn’t have to wait long to put their philosophy into practice. No. 8 Kentucky (33-16) got back on the winning track in Cliff Hagan Stadium, downing Indiana (27-18-2) by a final of 5-2. UK did its damage by scoring two runs with two outs in both the first and second innings and added another in the seventh.

“About a month ago, we did an exercise with our guys where we basically revisited some of the things we thought made us great,” Mingione said. “Riley Mahan stood up and he just said, ‘We do not let things linger.’ Right? We’re able to move on when things don’t go our way. Today was just another good example.”

The bounce-back victory didn’t come against some overmatched midweek opponent either. The Cats downed an Indiana team currently ranked No. 21 in the RPI that had bashed 55 home runs coming in to Tuesday night’s game. The Hoosiers got No. 56 and an early 1-0 lead with a first-inning solo shot by Matt Lloyd, but that didn’t faze UK starter Zack Thompson.

Flush it.

“I kept attacking,” Thompson said. “I just had to compete tonight. I left a lot of balls up in the zone. I didn’t really have control of my secondary. I just had to compete and I had my guys behind me making plays and that really helped.”

The freshman southpaw flashed his electric stuff in allowing just two runs over six innings and striking out a career high-tying 10. He mixed pitches well, keeping the Hoosiers guessing between a mid-90s fastball and a swing-and-miss breaking ball. All they managed against him was a pair of solo homers, a single and two walks.

“I was really proud of him because in my career when you face the team from your state or a group of guys that you know, you take it really personal and you try to do too much. I don’t think he did that,” Mingione said. “… I didn’t think he got all caught up in Indiana. I felt like he was locked in in what he was trying to do. And that’s not common for freshman.”

Thompson’s talent has been clear since his arrival on campus, but the Selma, Indiana, native has grown by leaps and bounds over the course of his debut season. Tuesday night’s outing and the two that came before it are proof positive, what with the combined 13.1 innings of two-run ball.

Thompson picked up the save in UK’s lone win over Georgia last weekend, tossing 2.1 perfect innings and striking out five. That came on the heels of a winning effort against Xavier in which he posted six scoreless innings and allowed just one hit.

“It’s been huge,” Thompson said. “We’ve been changing stuff left and right and things are finally starting to fall into place a little bit.”

The emergence of an arm of Thompson’s caliber is a welcome development for a team with designs on a deep postseason run that will require lots of quality pitching. The same is true of fellow freshman Chris Machamer. The right-hander relieved Thompson and pitched a pair of scoreless innings before yielding to Logan Salow, who shook off a pair of blown saves over the weekend to close out the ninth.

“I think what you saw tonight is how it’s going to have to shape up with us, especially with (Zach) Pop being out,” Mingione said. “So who is going to step up and throw that seventh or eighth inning? Chris Machamer has been that guy and he’s emerged.”

That, however, is a conversation for another day. UK, in the thick of the Southeastern Conference title race, has its final home series of the season this weekend against Tennessee. There’s no place for thoughts of tournament play or a midweek win come Friday.

Flush it.

“We’re going to keep moving along,” Mingione said.