Baylor starter baffles Rebels in shutout loss to Bears
HOUSTON | Nick Lewis set a career high with seven strikeouts against South Alabama last Friday.
That new standard didn’t even last a full week.
The Baylor right-hander struck out nine Ole Miss hitters during a frustrating opener for the Rebels in the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic at Minute Maid Park. The Bears blanked the No. 11 Rebels, 4-0, behind Lewis’ effort of mixing in enough fastballs around 90 MPH and a lot of changeups through seven innings.
“We just weren’t really good,” Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said. “You have to credit Lewis and he was terrific I thought, great command. Exactly what we thought, and once he got on a roll he got better, and we got worse.
“We didn’t compete well enough.”
Ole Miss (7-2) continues the weekend Saturday at noon against No. 10 Texas Tech, but Friday was the second straight game the Rebels had multiple errors and fell by at least three runs after winning the first seven games of the season.
It’s the first time UM has been shut out since last season’s Governor’s Cup, a 2-0 Mississippi State victory.
The Rebels had just two hits and two innings with a base runner on before two outs. Lewis provided a minimal opening with four walks, but three of those came with two outs and none of those runners advanced into scoring position.
Cole Zabowski had the Rebels’ first hit with a fourth-inning single.
Ole Miss was 1-of-11 with runners on and never had an at-bat with a runner at second or third.
“Fastball-changeup,” Bianco said of Lewis. “A changeup where we just couldn’t see it and didn’t pick it up very much. It just wasn’t very good at-bats.”
The best chance for a comeback was the sixth when Tate Blackman started the inning with a walk. Colby Bortles lined a single a batter later, but Blackman was called out trying to stretch an extra base. Replayed showed him safe on the initial dive into the bag.
Lewis struck out the side in the seventh to finish his day.
“(Lewis) did a really good job of keeping us off balance,” Ole Miss catcher Cooper Johnson said. “The changeup just floats up there, but the arm action with the fastball and changeup are virtually the same. The fastball has some run… Locating three pitches is how you get outs.”
Baylor reliever Kyle Hill pitched the final two innings and walked one with two outs in the eighth for his only runner.
The Rebels were 1-for-11 with two outs and also 1-for-11 on runner advancement opportunities.
“(Bad at-bats are) contagious just like hitting is contagious,” Johnson said. “When people are swinging well you feel more comfortable but when the pitcher is out there dealing and people are out in front and waving at pitches then everyone else wonders what he’s throwing. Next thing you know we’re five innings in and not doing anything.
“What makes a team great is answering innings, and we’ve done that. We didn’t do it today, and we need to play with that fire tomorrow and answer.”