Washington graduate student right-hander Jackson Thomas silenced Indiana baseball’s bats Saturday afternoon, allowing just three hits over seven innings to lead Washington to a 9-2 win at Bart Kaufman Field in Bloomington. The series is split at one game apiece ahead of Sunday’s final contest.
Thomas scattered three hits and allowed one run while striking out three and issuing no walks across seven innings, keeping the Hoosiers off balance after an early first-inning run.
Indiana struck first when redshirt junior center fielder Ayden Crouse was hit by the opening pitch of the bottom of the first and advanced to third on a throwing error from Washington freshman third baseman Landon Young. Crouse later scored on a double-play ball off the bat of redshirt freshman designated hitter Brayden Ricketts, giving the Hoosiers a brief 1-0 lead. Sophomore catcher Hogan Denny added a double in the frame, but Indiana stranded Denny.
Thomas settled in on the mound for the Huskies after the first inning.
Washington answered in the second and took a lead it would not relinquish. Junior outfielder Mic Paul walked and advanced to third on a single from freshman outfielder Daniel Porras. Senior second baseman Ty Cowan drove in Paul with a single through the right side, and senior infielder Sam DeCarlo added a sacrifice fly to make it 2-1 in favor of the Huskies.
Sophomore third baseman Will Moore added a single in the third, but the Hoosiers went quiet otherwise. From that point until the eighth inning when Moore struck again with another single, Indiana did not record another hit.
The Huskies extended their advantage in the fourth. Porras doubled to right field and later scored after advancing on a passed ball. Washington redshirt junior catcher Colton Bower followed with an infield single that slipped past sophomore left-hander Brayton Thomas, pushing the lead to 3-1.
With two on and two outs, Indiana head coach Jeff Mercer made a pitching change in the fifth inning. He called on graduate student right-hander Michael Sarhatt, who quickly cleaned up the mess by striking out the first batter he faced.
Thomas exited for the Hoosiers after 4.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out four and walking three.
Sarhatt ran into trouble in the sixth inning. Washington senior second baseman Ty Cowan opened the inning with a single, and DeCarlo walked before Bower advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt. Young followed with an RBI single to score Cowan and extended the Huskies’ lead. Young later stole second, allowing DeCarlo to score, and Washington added another run on an RBI single from graduate student first baseman Casen Taggart, stretching the advantage to 6-1.
Sarhatt allowed three runs over 1.1 innings of relief.
Freshman right-hander Ivan Mastalski replaced Sarhatt in the seventh and retired the side in order, but Indiana’s offense remained stalled as the score was 6-1.
Mastalski tossed two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out four batters.
Jackson Thomas exited after seven strong innings, allowing three hits and one run while striking out three without issuing a walk. After the first inning, Indiana managed just two hits against him and never mounted sustained pressure.
Washington added three runs in the ninth, highlighted by a two-run home run from Porras and an RBI triple from DeCarlo.
Indiana sophomore shortstop Cooper Malamazian responded with a solo homer in the bottom half, but Washington closed out the 9-2 win moments later.
Indiana and Washington will wrap up its first conference weekend series at noon Sunday at Bart Kaufman Field in Bloomington. Indiana senior right-handed pitcher Jackson Bergman is projected to start in the finale.
Follow reporters Elakai Anela (@elakai_anela and eanela@iu.edu) and Will Kwiatkowski (@WKwiatkowski_15 and wdkwiatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana baseball season.
