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BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — If you thought Ryan Thurston would have trouble providing an encore for his 11-strikeout performance vs. Ohio last week, think again.
The lefty struck out a program-best (dating back to 2005) 14 hitters in only six innings, as WKU Baseball notched a 13-6 victory over Illinois State on Friday evening at Nick Denes Field. Catcher Hunter Wood provided early offense for the Hilltoppers with a two-run homerun in the first inning and finished the day 3-of-4 at the plate with three runs scored.
The punch outs came early and they came often for Thurston, as he racked up eight through the first three innings. He struck out the side in the second, third and fifth innings, and had at least two in 5-of-6 on the day. Although he allowed three runs in the fourth inning, Thurston responded with a pair of zeroes to cap his performance at 109 pitches in six frames.
With WKU single-game records dating back to the 2005 season, the previous game-high for a pitcher was 13 by Matt Hightower on April 10, 2009, vs. New Orleans. Already with a pair of 11-strikeout efforts in his career on The Hill, Thurston added three to his best mark against the Redbirds.
Coming off a 15-run performance at Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday, the Hilltoppers' bats stayed hot Friday. Besides Wood's three-hit game with a long ball, Colie Currie had three hits and led the team with three runs batted in. Grayson Ivey added another multi-hit effort, including a bases-loaded, two-run double in the eighth inning for WKU's 11th and 12th runs.
"Ryan Thurston has shown so many signs of improvement and maturity that he has this in him," head coach John Pawlowski. "This was an impressive outing, he was in total command in the beginning of the game, lost a little feel there in the middle, but got it back and gave an outstanding effort when we really needed it."
"I was able to work four pitches in the zone and I felt really comfortable throwing pretty much any pitch in any count," Thurston said. "It's a good feeling, especially when the offense scores two in the first and one in the second to get up early. It's great to come out and get a win like this on a Friday."
Topper Notes
- Hitting in the two-spot for the first time in three starts, Tyler Robertson bunted for a single in the first inning and scored on Hunter Wood's homerun a few pitches later. The second baseman went 1-for-2 on the day, but walked three times and tied Wood and Nathan Methvin with three runs scored.
- Starting at first base, Methvin also went 1-for-2 with three runs scored; he walked twice and drove in runs on a third-inning double down the right-field line and a bases-loaded base on balls in the eighth. Grayson Ivey started at designated hitter for the first time this season, marking the first time he and Methvin both appeared in the starting lineup.
- Kevin Elder pitched the final three innings for the Hilltoppers to earn the team's second nine-out save of the season (Evan Acosta pitched the final three innings in the 14-4 victory Feb. 25). The senior reliever struck out a season-high six ISU batters, giving WKU 20 punch outs as a team. In his five appearances thus far, Elder has pitched three-plus innings in four of them.
Play of the Day
After getting a ground ball to second baseman Tyler Robertson to start the game, Ryan Thurston retired the next eight Redbirds' hitters via strikeout to move towards his record-setting day. Of his 14 strikeouts, 10 were swinging and four were looking. Thurston now boasts a 38-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio on the season and accounts for 34-percent of the team's 111 punch outs through WKU's first 15 games.
What's Up Next
Due to low temperatures expected Saturday, the Hilltoppers and Redbirds will either play a doubleheader Sunday, March 12 OR the regularly-scheduled game Sunday plus a game Monday, March 13 at Nick Denes Field. The schedule will be determined tomorrow when the weather forecast is a bit clearer.
