ALAMEDA - Wyatt Thompson needed just 87 pitches for a complete-game victory on Saturday at the College of Alameda, as Bishop O'Dowd blanked St. Joseph Notre Dame, 4-0.
Thompson was in control all day long, allowing just two hits while notching 10 strikeouts. He walked just one batter and allowed just one baserunner over the final five innings. For the first five innings, however, it appeared that his performance might not be enough, as St. Joe's senior Hudson Hennigh was equally impressive, and the two starting pitchers traded goose eggs headed to the top of the sixth.
The Pilots changed pitchers in the sixth inning, however, and O'Dowd broke through against Joseph Boyden. After Thompson singled and Kai Johnson walked with one out, William Herbert doubled to left field to score both runners for a 2-0 Dragons' lead. Boyden escaped further damage in the sixth by retiring the next two batters, but a one-out double from Matthias Haas in the top of the seventh got things going again.
Liam Rizzo was hit by a pitch and Thompson walked with two outs to load the bases for O'Dowd. Johnson then singled to right field, scoring both Haas and Rizzo for the final two runs of the game. Johnson reached base three times during the victory for the Dragons.
