Pitching fails Vandy as Ole Miss wins Friday's opener

NASHVILLE, Tenn.-- Ole Miss hitters reached base 24 times against Vanderbilt, as the fifth-ranked Rebels took Game 1 from Vanderbilt by an 11-3 score before a season-high 3,565 fans at Hawkins Field on Friday night.

The Rebels out-hit Vandy, 14-7, and snapped VU's three-game winning streak.

Austin Martin's three hits led the Commodores (20-14, 7-6 Southeastern Conference). Alonzo Jones had VU's only extra-base hit, a seventh-inning triple.

Fellows and relievers Chandler Day and Maddux Conger were often their own worst enemies, combining to walk eight batters, hit two more and throw four wild pitches. The three combined for 170 pitches.

The eight-run loss tied for the worst of the season with a 10-2 defeat suffered at Florida two weekends ago.

The Commodores held a 2-1 lead after an inning, but Ole Miss struck with three in the third and two in the sixth as Vandy's sophomore starter struggled with his control.

The Rebels didn't hit Fellows hard in the first, but hit the ball to the right spots. A pair of infield singles, and another through short into left, helped Ole Miss load the bases with one out in the first before a wild pitch brought home Ryan Olenek with a single.

But Vandy struck back immediately.

Martin led off with in infield single, then took second when Connor Kaiser scorched a single up the middle. A Scott single to left loaded the bases, and Pat DeMarco ripped a ball to shortstop that scored a run when Kaiser was forced at first.

Clarke then struck out on a wild pitch, while Kaiser scored, and then catcher Nick Fortes easily gunned DeMarco at third taking an extra base.

But Ole Miss tacked on three more in the third, thanks to two walks, a hit batsman, two singles and a sacrifice fly.

Meanwhile, the Commodore bats went cold. Vandy had two on with nobody out in the second and couldn't scratch, marking the only time VU had multiple men on at once the rest of the night.

It was a tough night for Fellows, who had two outs and nobody on in the sixth before walking a man and giving up a single.

Day then gave up a triple to Fortes, leaving Fellows with a total of six runs (all earned) on eight singles, five walks and a hit batsman.

Martin , playing left, threw out Olenek trying to stretch a single.

Julian Infante started at first after sitting out the last three games.

Clarke pinch hit for the DH, with tomorrow's starting pitcher, Patrick Raby, penciled in that spot originally.

Clarke was picked off first with one out in the fourth.

Cooper Davis pinch-hit for Infante in the eighth and stayed in the game in left.

MS 1: Olenek scored on Fellows wild pitch. MS, 1-0

VU 1: DeMarco reaches on fielder's choice, scoring Martin. Tied-1

VU 1: Kaiser scored on Rolison's wild pitch. VU, 2-1

MS 3: Dillard single through second off Fellows scored Olenek. Tied-2

MS 3: Golson singled though short off Fellows, Dillard scored. MS, 3-2

MS 3: Cockrell flies to deep center off Fellows, Zabowski scored, MS, 4-2

MS 6: Fortes tripled past first into right field corner off Day, scoring Kessinger and Olenek. MS, 6-2

MS 7: Golsan homer to left-center off Day. MS, 7-2

VU 7: Davis ground-out off Ethridge scored Jones. MS, 7-3

MS 8: Zabowski singled to right off Day, scoring Olenek. MS, 8-3

MS 8: Keenan's ground-out to second off Day scored Zabowski. MS, 9-3

MS 8: Day's wild pitch scored Zabowski. MS, 10-3

MS 9: Fortes double to left-center off Conger scored Adams. MS, 11-3