Thompson Powers Kansas Past Western Illinois, 7-4
March 25, 2009
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Sophomore Tony Thompson went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs as the Kansas baseball team earned its 12th consecutive win at Hoglund Ballpark Wednesday, 7-4 over Western Illinois.
The Jayhawks improve to 15-7 on the season, while the Leathernecks drop to 3-12.
Thompson flexed his muscles Wednesday after an off series against Texas over the weekend. The sophomore third baseman hit a two-run homer in the third inning and a solo shot in the fifth for the first multi-home run game by a Jayhawk since Erik Morrison turned the trick last season against Baylor.
It was the first three-hit game by Thompson since he went 3-for-5 in the finale of the Northwestern series on March 7.
Thompson’s teammates also did some damage, as Jimmy Waters and Nick Faunce chipped in a pair of base hits, while three other Jayhawks collected RBIs.
Junior Brett Bollman made his second collegiate start, and held the Leathernecks to two runs on five hits over five innings. The junior righty struck out five and walked just one. He improved to 2-0 on the season.
Relief pitchers Colton Murray and Travis Blankenship each pitched a scoreless innings of relief.
The Jayhawks’ 12 straight home victories are the most to start a season since the 1979 team won its first 15 home games.
KU (15-7) will travel to College Station, Texas for its second Big 12 series of the season. The Jayhawks will open the series against No. 12 Texas A&M on Friday at 6:05 p.m. An live internet broadcast of the game can be heard on kuathletics.com.
