Rebels fall to No. 17 Baylor in first game of Shriners College Classic

HOUSTON, Texas — In the first game of the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic, Ole Miss fell to undefeated No. 17 Baylor, 4-0, behind an oustanding outing by the Bears’ senior pitcher Nick Lewis.

The loss to Baylor was Ole Miss’ first against a ranked opponent this season (6-1).

(Click here for complete box score.)

Lewis went seven innings, giving up only 2 hits and 4 walks. He didn’t allow a Rebel to reach second base until the 6th inning–and no Rebel reached third base during the entire game.

Ole Miss batters were plagued by the strikeout bug, striking out 11 times in the game. Reliever Andy Pagnozzi pitched well for the Rebels, only allowing one run in 4 innings pitched. Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco praised the sophomore whose four innings were a new career high in relief.

After the game, Blanco said starter David Parkinson struggled, somewhat, with the location on his pitches.  It was Parkinson’s first loss in his last five starts, dating back to the 2016 season. All five of those starts were against ranked opponents.

Next Up:

The Rebels return to action Saturday  vs. No. 10 Texas Tech. James McAurthur is expected to take the hill for Ole Miss. First pitch is slated for 12:05 on Fox Sports (regional coverage) and the Fox Sports GO app. Fans can also tune in to David Kellum and Keith Kessinger on the Ole Miss IMG Sports Network.

(Feature image credit: Chris Muller, The Rebel Walk)