OXFORD | Grae Kessinger's fourth at-bat on Tuesday delivered a microcosm of the adjustments that have Ole Miss optimistic about his second season.
After two pitches away from the strike zone, Memphis reliever Alex Smith offered one up over the plate, and Kessinger hit a hard shot off the third baseman, resulting in his fourth hit of the night and continuing an approach to attack the best, early offering from opposing pitchers.
After getting the go-ahead, 2-run single Sunday in Ole Miss’ sweep of Winthrop, Kessinger scored three times two days later and was a major part of the 8-6 win over the Tigers (2-2) to remain unbeaten on the season.
“Just trying to be aggressive,” Kessinger said. “Let the swing take care of itself and don’t overthink it. Be aggressive early because when you get two strikes at this level it’s much harder to hit.”
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The sophomore has eight hits on the season after having just 27 in 154 at-bats in 2017. He also has two doubles through four games and ran his early batting average to .522.
“He’s really getting good swings off,” Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said.
He reached base on his initial two at-bats and scored two batters later each time, as Nick Fortes hit home runs during his first couple of plate appearances and had six RBIs with three hits and two runs scored.
The Ole Miss record for game RBIs is 10 by Charlie Conerly against Millsaps in 1947. It’s the first time a Rebels had six RBIs in a game since Fortes also did it against ULM last May.
The Rebels got to Memphis starter Danny Denz for four hits and five runs in two-plus innings. Fortes’ second home run came just as reliever Connor Alexander entered the game.
“I needed that breakout game,” Fortes said. “I struggled some over the weekend but needed that game to get me going.”
The Rebels were 7-of-19 with runners on and had three hits with two outs.
Meanwhile, Ole Miss sophomore Houston Roth made his first career start, giving up two runs on three hits in four innings. He struck out six and walked three, exiting the game after a strikeout to end the fourth inning. Kyle O’Keefe hit a two-run home run in the fourth to blemish Roth.
Roth got back-to-back strikeouts to strand a leadoff double in the second inning, and he also escaped a on-out double in the third. After throwing three innings on Friday, Bianco was more careful with his pitch count.
“He threw a little too much on Friday for this start and it winded him a little bit,” Bianco said. “Sometimes the best thing for the pitcher is runs, but the innings really last and the the time between innings got to him a little bit.”
Roth threw 77 pitches and got the win on predetermined pitch count.
Memphis cut it to 8-4 in the eighth and had two in scoring position with no outs when the Rebels went to Will Stokes. The right-hander struck out O’Keefe and got a line out and a fly out to extinguish the threat.
However, in the ninth, Stokes gave up a single and a walk to give way to Dallas Woolfolk. He also struggled, yielding two hits, but back-to-back strikeouts, the second with two runners in scoring position, ended the game and gave him the second save of the season.
“The good thing is if you’re having a good bullpen then people have to come put the fire out,” Bianco said. “We delivered pitches and got out of innings. They didn’t do well coming back out, but they all did well when they jumped in the fire.”
