Thurston Climbs Strikeout Charts, WKU Falls in Opener at Rice

Friday, March 23

Houston, Texas

6:30 PM

Western Kentucky University

10-12, 1-3

Rice

10-14, 1-3

WKU

RICE

Photo by: Aaron Sprecher, Rice

Thurston Climbs Strikeout Charts, WKU Falls in Opener at Rice

3/23/2018 10:05:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

HOUSTON, Texas — Starter Ryan Thurston worked into the sixth inning with nine strikeouts, but WKU Baseball lost by a score of 4-0 at Rice on Friday night. Kevin Lambert singled in the eighth inning, while Steven Kraft and Tyler Robertson extended their on-base streaks to 12 and nine, respectively, with walks.

With nine strikeouts, Ryan Thurston reached 258 for his career on The Hill. The lefty started the night fifth all-time, but passed Grady Hinchman (250, 2002-05) and Heath Haynes (253, 1988-91) and now sits third in program history.

Through the first five frames, Thurston got by with only one run allowed. That happened in the third inning after a Ryan Chandler grounder hit off the first base bag and trickled into right field for a leadoff double. He advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Trei Cruz sacrifice fly.

But in the sixth, despite a pair of strikeouts, the Owls were threatening with runners on first and second and two out. On a 3-2 count to Chandler, the center fielder squeaked a grounder through the middle to score Justin Collins, who was running on the pitch.

That ended the outing for Thurston, who gave way to reliever Conner Boyd with runners on the corners. But on Boyd's second pitch to Cruz, the second baseman hit a high, deep fly ball that went just off the end of center fielder Jacob Rhinesmith's glove. Nearly a Willie Mays-esque catch turned into a two-run triple and a 4-0 Rice lead.

With the book closed on Thurston, he threw 120 pitches - 73 for strikes - in 5.2 innings, scattering seven singles and a double with two walks. Of his nine strikeouts, eight came with runners on base. The senior has gone five-plus innings in each of his first six starts in 2018.

Boyd stayed in the game and pitched a 1-2-3 seventh, while reliever Michael Martin followed with a perfect eighth.

Up Next
Game 2 between the Hilltoppers and Owls will get underway Saturday, March 24, with first pitch at 2 p.m. It will be two righties facing off, with Colby Taylor from WKU and Kendal Jefferies of Rice.