OMAHA, Neb. — It was a tough start to the College World Series for the Rebels as they struggled to produce hits and fell to Virginia 2-1.
“It’s a tough lesson you learn in baseball. We’ve learned this a few times this year, the team that plays best usually wins,” said Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco. “I thought they outplayed us tonight. Not by much, but enough to make a difference, especially in this type of ball game. Tip your hat to Virginia. I thought (Nathan) Kirby was tremendous. We just could not solve him and catch up to his fastball. It seemed like we get him, then he would mix in a breaking ball or a changeup. We just couldn’t get to his fastball.
“I thought Chris (Ellis) did a good job pitching out of some jams and they were able to put enough runners on and get timely hits. I’m proud of the way we competed.”
Chris Ellis did all he could to help Ole Miss stay in the game, pitching six innings, giving up one earned run on six hits with four walks and three strikeouts. Ellis threw 102 pitches, 58 of them for strikes.
Ellis’ counterpart, Nathan Kirby, pitched a stellar outing for Virginia. He went seven innings, only allowing one earned run on one hit with three walks and four strikeouts. Kirby had control from the very start throwing 84 pitches, 52 for strikes.
“All credit to him. He’s a great pitcher,” said Errol Robinson, in regards to Kirby. “He dominated the zone and kept us off balance most of the game. He really did things you would expect a great pitcher to do. All credit to him.”
It was a quiet night offensively for the better part of the game. The game went scoreless through four innings. Virginia’s Joe McCarthy hit an RBI single to center in the bottom of the 5th to give Virginia the 1-0 lead.
The Rebels would go scoreless until the top of the 8th, where pinch hitter Holt Perdzock hit an RBI groundout to the shortstop to score pinch runner Cameron Dishon and tied the game at one.
Drama would commence in the ninth, but not in the Rebels favor. Mike Papi hit a walk-off RBI double to deep right center to give the Virginia the opening win. And send Ole Miss to an elimination game.
Bianco decided to have reliever Aaron Greenwood pitch to Mike Papi instead of walking him and Papi delivered with a walk off double.
“He’s been our guy,” said Bianco on letting Greenwood pitch to Papi. “Aaron (Greenwood) was close. Just a pitch away from getting out of it. But Mike (Papi) did a good job of staying on the ball.”
Ole Miss will play Tuesday at 2 p.m. on ESPN2 against Texas Tech in an elimination game.
– Dylan Rubino
dmsports@gmail.com
