Liam Doyle too much for No. 6 Ole Miss in return as No. 5 Tennessee takes series opener
All the hype around No. 6 Ole Miss hosting No. 5 Tennessee this week was focused on a returning Liam Doyle and Andrew Fischer.
One delivered while another had a quite start to the weekend. Unfortunately for the Rebels it was not Doyle.
The Volunteers ace was dominant from the start in the 3-2 victory at Oxford-University Stadium on Friday. Doyle went 8.1 innings and racked up 14 strikeouts, giving up two runs off three hits. Ole Miss catcher Austin Fawley was the only one to muster offense against the former Rebel pitcher, hitting a two-run home run in the fifth inning.
Outside of that Doyle was too much for the Rebels (26-8, 8-5 Southeastern Conference) with his upper 90s fastball doing most of the damage. Two of those strikeouts were looking as the other 12 were Ole Miss bats trying to catch up to Doyle’s pitches.
“He’s been real good all year,” Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said. “This wasn’t a different night for him. You look at his numbers he’s been terrific and it’s mostly fastball and he threw mostly fastballs. A few cutters. Picked up a cutter, I guess, and a slider and split (fastball). He’s good.”
Once Doyle left the game in the ninth inning the Rebels had opportunities. With Ryan Moerman on base Judd Utermark nearly hit one out that would have served as a walk-off home run but it was caught just shy of the right field wall. Hayden Federico’s loud out was caught in mid right field to end the potential threat and the game.
On the other side of things Ole Miss starter Hunter Elliott had another outing where he scuffled and mistakes ended up costing him. Three of the four walks by Elliott resulted in all three runs for Tennessee (30-4, 10-3).
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The left-hander went four innings, allowign three runs off two hits and got a pair of strikeouts.
“Just not sharp,” Bianco said of Elliott. “Good offense over there and when you look up, and he’s a champion, he’ll kick himself. …Don’t have the answer for you why but just not a great night for him. He competes. He keeps you in the game but tonight, as good as Doyle was on the other side, we needed a few more zeroes.”
In what could potentially turn into an audition for a starting role Mason Morris gave a strong performance out of the bullpen. Ole Miss needed to use only one arm in relief with Morris working the final five innings and allowing zero runs.
Morris was in the game when the Volunteers scored their third run but it is credited to Elliott. The Tupelo native allowed three hits and struck out eight batters. He did not issue a walk
“He was really good and we needed every bit of it, obviously,” Bianco said. “When he came in we needed something to give us a spark and, obviously, he did.”
Ole Miss will look to tie the series on Saturday at 4 p.m. CT.
