‘He was good’: First-time Friday-night starter Riley Maddox held up his end against Kentucky
Ole Miss earlier this week shook up its weekend pitching rotation following a handful of rough outings for all starters not named Liam Doyle.
The Rebels salvaged a game at Tennessee last weekend. However, in their two losses, they were outscored 30-7 and run-ruled. Head coach Mike Bianco responded by first shifting Gunnar Dennis from Fridays to Sundays.
Riley Maddox replaced Dennis, and the veteran right-hander certainly held up his end of the bargain Friday against Kentucky. However, Maddox was let down by his defense in a 5-3 loss.
Ole Miss (18-9, 3-4 SEC) coughed up three unearned runs on three passed balls, a wild pitch and three errors.
“He was good,” Bianco said of Maddox. Bianco is in his 24th season leading the Rebels. “He was sharp. Tough first (inning) and he handled it. I thought he was excellent. He’ll kick himself a little bit; he had an opportunity to get off the field in the sixth. Doesn’t make a couple of pitches (and) we don’t make some plays behind him. That’s frustrating.
“It’s tough to win any ballgame when you’re giving up three unearned runs.”
Nasty fourth K of the night for @riley_maddox1 😶🌫️
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) March 30, 2024
📻 SECN+ pic.twitter.com/AkweBPIURV
Maddox surrendered four runs (one earned) on three hits with four strikeouts and two walks over 5.2 innings.
“I felt all right,” Maddox said. He spent the season’s first few months as the Rebels’ primary midweek option. “I was a little nervous out there, for sure, being the first SEC start. But it was good.
“I thought I could have made a few more pitches here and there. Defense made some uncanny plays. They usually make those plays, but that’s baseball and how it is. You’ve got to get through that and get off the field. We didn’t do that tonight.”
SEC-leading Kentucky improved to 22-4 (6-1) on the year. The teams meet again Saturday at 1:30 p.m. CT. The lefty Doyle (2-0, 4.12 ERA) will oppose Kentucky LHP Dominic Niman (4-3, 3.31). Doyle is fresh off back-to-back 10-strikeout efforts.
Ole Miss leads the all-time series with Kentucky, 26-17.
“I’d say probably the fourth inning I was filling it up and got into a groove,” Maddox said. “I could feel it. The nerves went away. It was pretty good.
“Just trying to fill it up and stay low with that sinker. Sometimes that happens when I get up there adrenalized; I’ll leave it up, and it doesn’t play well up there. Just trying to fill it up (with) first-pitch strikes to stay ahead and let my fastball do the work.”
