Vanderbilt falls 1-0 at Ole Miss in Southeastern Conference opener

In Vanderbilt's first conference game of 2017, two themes carried over from its four weekends of non-conference play: it doesn't hit when it has its best scoring opportunities, and starting pitcher Kyle Wright still can't buy a win.

Wright, a preseason All-American, had an excellent start this time around, but the right-hander wound up on the losing end of a 1-0 game vs. Ole Miss at Swayze Field in Oxford, Miss., on Friday night.

Pinch-hitter Tim Rowe laced a two-out single in the sixth off Wright, scoring Colby Bortles with the game's only run.

Wright (0-3) worked seven innings, striking out four, walking two, hitting a batter, and giving up six hits--all singles--in a 99-pitch outing before giving way to Matt Ruppenthal. Sixty-two of Wright's pitches were strikes.

The Ole Miss sixth started harmlessly enough. With two out and nobody on, Bortles singled, and Thomas Dillard walked, before Rowe slapped an opposite-field single to left.

Vanderbilt had its best chance in the third. Ethan Paul led off with a walk against Ole Miss starter David Parkinson, then, shortstop Connor Kaiser singled to center. Jeren Kendall then took a four-pitch walk.

But Alonzo Jones chopped a ball weakly in front of the plate, then, was called out when the ball hit him in the back in fair territory.

Julian Infante then just missed a home run with a foul ball to deep left before hitting into a 6-4-3 double play.

Vandy also missed a chance in the fifth, when Paul scorched a double to deep center to lead off. But Kendall and Kaiser struck out, Jones was hit by a pitch, and Infante flied to center.

Ole Miss also failed to score on a bases-loaded, nobody-out situation in the fourth, when Bortles, at first, couldn't get out of the way that Dillard hit. A line-out and a ground-out later, Wright was out of the inning.

VU left seven men on base, and Ole Miss, eight.

Ole Miss starting pitchers haven't given up a run in seven-straight starts, and the Rebels haven't given up a run in five games, period.

The last time Ole Miss yielded a run was when Georgia State scored two in the eleventh in a 2-0 win on March 7. (The Rebels shut out GSU the game before that.)

The teams square off agains Saturday at 1:30 Central, with Vanderbilt lefty Patrick Raby (1.40) facing Rebel lefty Brady Feigl (3.90).