HOOVER | Will Ethridge isn’t usually included in discussions and lists of the Southeastern Conference’s best aces, being seen by many as solid and consistent more than dominant.
And Ole Miss lost six of his 10 league starts thanks to an assortment of different reasons in all phases. But he’s the questioned leader of this Rebel pitching staff, and he hasn’t had a 2019 start better and more comforting than Tuesday afternoon in suburban Birmingham.
Ethridge, on two days short of normal rest, stymied Missouri for seven innings, as Ole Miss moved to the double elimination portion of the SEC Tournament with a 2-1 win to earn a 1 p.m. Wednesday date with two-seed Arkansas.
Junior lefty Zack Phillips will start for the Rebels (34-23) against the Razorbacks. The Rebels have a five-game winning streak in Hoover.
"He’s a guy that’s maybe the least talked about and deserves as much credit as anybody for our season,” Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said. “He’s been tremendous on Friday and he deserves a better record. The rest of his numbers are tremendous. It’s not indicative of how well he’s pitched.”
The junior right-hander struck out six without a walk and scattered seven hits among his 101 pitches and 67 strikes. Back-to-back doubles gave Ethridge his lone blemish in the second inning, but he mastered the Tigers the rest of the way.
Ethridge retired seven in a row during two different stretches and stranded a runner at second three times. Ole Miss has given him only five runs of support in his last four games combined.
“It was all about competing and just keep putting up zeroes,” Ethridge said.
Ethridge, in his first season as a starter, has gone at least in five innings in all starts except the two interrupted by blister issues on his finger. He’s lasted at least seven innings in three of his last four outings, and the exception was a quality 6-inning, 2-run effort against Mississippi State.
Ethridge now gets 10 days off before the first game of the NCAA Tournament next Friday. He held velocity into the 90s throughout his start and controlled Missouri with the sinker.
“He spots that sinker so well, and then he gets in on left-handers as well as anyone,” Missouri coach Steve Beiser said. “He’s one of the most productive guys in this league.”
Tyler Myers struck out the side in the eighth on 20 pitches, and Ryan Olenek got his second save in as many games with a scoreless ninth inning.
Olenek hit the leadoff batter but struck out Thomas Broyles with the go-ahead runner on base to end the game.
Jacob Adams and Thomas Dillard hit back-to-back doubles in the fifth inning to tie the game, and Grae Kessinger, who led the SEC with 51 hits in league play, laid down a sacrifice to move Dillard to third.
Dillard is 7-for-12 since moving to the leadoff spot.
Cole Zabowski drove an 0-1 fastball back up the middle with two outs to put the Rebels in the lead.
Ole Miss out-hit Missouri 10-7 and left eight on base. Dillard, Zabowski, Olenek and Anthony Servideo had two hits apiece. Servideo also doubled.
