Chad Smith said he feels he gets stronger as the game goes on, and that theory proved true Wednesday. The junior right-hander struck out a career-high nine hitters and was backed by eight runs from the Ole Miss offense in the team’s 8-3 win over Murray State on Wednesday night. It was Ole Miss’ second win in two nights and its 28th of the season.
“I think the main thing for me tonight is that I was able to locate my fastball on both sides of the plate. I’ve had a little trouble doing that recently and I think that was the difference for me,” Smith said. “I feel like I get stronger as the game goes on, per se. Maybe my velocity goes down or whatever, but I feel like I keep the same intensity throughout the entire game.”
“Tonight he really attacked the strike zone early in the count. He really threw some balls to the middle of the plate and then worked out from there,” Head Coach Mike Bianco said. “I thought he was terrific tonight.”
After not playing a series last weekend, Murray State elected to use a different pitcher in all eight innings, and after starter Jack Hranec’s scoreless first frame, things did not go as well for them.
Ole Miss scored in each of the next four innings starting with two runs in the second on a sacrifice fly from Michael Fitzsimmons and an RBI single from Cameron Dishon. Dishon added another single in the fifth to plate his second of two RBIs on the night.
Fitzsimmons again started the scoring in the third when a slow roller to the shortstop was dropped, and made the score 3-0. Ole Miss scored two more in the fourth on a single from Ryan Olenek and a fielder’s choice from J.B. Woodman, and blew the game open in the fifth by touching up Murray State’s John Lollar for three runs and extended its lead to 8-0. Murray State used a total of 10 pitchers in the game.
“We are able to do some stuff and score some guys from third base with less than two outs,” Bianco said. “The offense has been good the last two day.”
After the long frame, Bianco sent out Connor Green in relief at the start of the sixth inning despite Smith throwing just 87 pitches. It was Smith’s first win since giving the Rebels their first SEC victory of the year at Tennessee.
“I was wanting to go one more, but Coach B went to the bullpen, but you know, it was a good outing. The whole team had a good outing,” Smith said.
Green struck out five batters in two scoreless innings, and Ole Miss as a team struck out 17.
Murray State broke through in the 8th with three runs off of Brian Browning and Andy Pagnozzi. Murray State first baseman Ramsey Scott got the Racers on the board with a slicing double into the right field corner off of Browning, and after Bianco went to Pagnozzi, Hranec, the Murray State starting pitcher, laced a single for two more, making the score 8-3. Hranec was moved into the designated hitter slot after he was relieved from his duties on the mound.
Pagnozzi retired Murray State in order in the ninth to solidify Ole Miss’ 21st midweek win of the year.
The win was the second of five games this week for Ole Miss as it hosts Auburn in a three-game series beginning on Friday. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
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- Junior Colby Bortles throws to first to make the out during the Murray State game on April 20, 2016. Photo: Evan Turner
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- Junior right-handed pitcher Chad Smith pitches against Murray State. Photo by: Evan Turner
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- Michael Fitzsimmons hits during the Murray State game last season. Photo by: Evan Turner
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- Junior Colby Bortles safely slides into home plate after a hit from Junior J.B. Woodman during the game against Murray State. Photo by: Evan Turner
