Five-run first sinks Arkansas against Ole Miss, sets up rubber match
No. 22 Arkansas (31-17, 12-11 SEC) allowed 5 runs in the first inning and never recovered against No. 17 Ole Miss (32-16, 12-11 SEC), falling 11-4 to even the series.
Lefty Cole Gibler gave up a grand slam to designated hitter Colin Reuter with just one out in the top of the first. With the wind blowing out, Reuter cleared the left center field wall with a launch angle of 47.75 degrees to give Ole Miss a 5-0 lead.
Gibler hung tough and gutted his way through 5 ⅓ innings and finished with a career-high 9 strikeouts, but allowed 7 earned runs to push his season ERA up nearly a full run from 2.91 to 3.88. Catcher Austin Fawley hit a pair of solo shots in the fourth and the sixth to give Ole Miss a 7-0 lead.
Cade Townsend was unhittable for the first 5 ⅔ innings of work, retiring 10 Razorbacks in a row but could not get the final out of the sixth inning. Carter Rutenbar doubled inside the right field line before Maika Niu hit his first home run in 23 games to give Arkansas some life and cut the lead to 7-2.
Arkansas pushed the tying run into the on-deck circle after two walks and a dropped third strike followed the home run, but Damian Ruiz grounded into an inning-ending fielder’s choice on the first pitch to retire the side.
Arkansas never threatened to get back into the game despite solo home runs from Kuhio Aloy and Camden Kozeal in the seventh and eighth innings respectively.
Despite giving up 7 runs, Gibler got deep enough into the game so Arkansas avoided having to throw its top remaining arms out of the bullpen. Tate McGuire and Jackson Kircher combined for 3 ⅔ innings of relief, allowing 4 runs.
The Razorback offense put together just enough production to force Ole Miss closer Walker Hooks into the game. Hooks got the final 5 outs of the game, throwing 23 pitches.
Arkansas still has Ethan McElvain, Parker Coil and Gabe Gaeckle available in the bullpen for the game Sunday to close out the series.
First pitch of the rubber match is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday and will be broadcast on SEC Network.
Live Updates:
No. 22 Arkansas (31-16, 12-10 SEC) looks to clinch its first SEC home series since conference opening weekend with a win in the middle game of a three-game series against No. 17 Ole Miss (31-16, 11-11 SEC) after run-ruling the Rebels in the opener 12-2.
The Razorbacks send lefty Cole Gibler (4-1, 2.91 ERA) to the mound while Ole Miss counters with righty Cade Townsend (4-1, 2.33 ERA) Townsend is ⅔ of an inning short from qualifying, but his ERA mark would be fifth best in the conference. He has only allowed more than 2 earned runs in two of his 10 starts.
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Starting Lineups:
Arkansas:
1B Carter Rutenbar
CF Maika Niu
SS Camden Kozeal
C Ryder Helfrick
2B Nolan Souza
LF Damian Ruiz
RF Zack Stewart
DH Kuhio Aloy
3B TJ Pompey
LHP Cole Gibler
Ole Miss:
2B Dom Decker
RF Tristan Bissetta
3B Judd Utermark
1B Will Furniss
CF Hayden Federico
DH Colin Reuter
C Austin Fawley
SS Owen Paino
LF Topher Jones
RHP Cade Townsend
Bottom 9th:
- Aloy grounded out to the catcher, 1 out
- Pompey flied out to center, 2 outs
- Rutenbar flied out to left, 3 outs
Top 9th:
- Jackson Kircher replaced McGuire
- Bissetta grounded out to third, 1 out
- Utermark singled to right
- Utermark stole second
- Furniss struck out looking, 2 outs
- Federico doubled to right center, Utermark scored, Ole Miss 10, Arkansas 4
- Cannon Goldin replaced Federico at second
- Reuter singled to left, Goldin scored, Ole Miss 11, Arkansas 4
- Fawley singled to left, Reuter to second
- Paino struck out swinging, 3 outs
Bottom 8th:
- Niu struck out swinging, 1 out
- Kozeal homered to left center, Ole Miss 9, Arkansas 4
- Helfrick walked
- Walker Hooks replaced Calhoun
- Souza flied out to left, 2 outs
- Ruiz singled to right, Helfrick to second
- Stewart grounded out to third, 3 outs
Top 8th:
- Paino struck out looking, 1 out
- Moseley grounded out, first to the pitcher, 2 outs
- Decker flied out to center, 3 outs
Bottom 7th:
- Stewart struck out swinging, 1 out
- Aloy homered to left, Ole Miss 9, Arkansas 3
- Pompey grounded out to second, 2 outs
- Rutenbar grounded out to second, 3 outs
Top 7th:
- Bissetta flied out to left, 1 out
- Utermark singled to center
- Furniss homered to right, Utermark scored, Ole Miss 9, Arkansas 2
- Federico grounded out to second, 2 outs
- Reuter singled to left
- Fawley struck out looking, 3 outs
Bottom 6th:
- Federico moves from center to left
- Moseley replaced Jones in center
- Aloy grounded out to third, 1 out
- Pompey struck out looking, 2 outs
- Rutenbar doubled to right
- Niu homered to left center, Rutenbar scored, Ole Miss 7, Arkansas 2
- Kozeal walked
- Hudson Calhoun replaced Townsend
- Helfrick walked, Kozeal to second
- Souza struck out swinging, reached first base on a wild pitch, Kozeal to third, Helfrick to second
- Ruiz grounded into a fielder’s choice, Souza out at second unassisted, 3 outs
Top 6th:
- Fawley homered to right center, Ole Miss 7, Arkansas 0
- Paino struck out swinging, 1 out
- Tate McGuire replaced Gibler
- Jones struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Decker fouled out to third, 3 outs
Bottom 5th:
- Souza flied out to center, 1 out
- Ruiz lined out to center, 2 outs
- Stewart struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 5th:
- Utermark grounded out to short, 1 out
- Furniss grounded out, pitcher to first, 2 outs
- Federico singled to center
- Reuter struck out looking, 2 outs
Bottom 4th:
- Niu flied out to center, 1 out
- Kozeal struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Helfrick flied out to center, 3 outs
Top 4th:
- Fawley homered to center, Ole Miss 6, Arkansas 0
- Paino singled to short
- Jones struck out swinging, 1 out
- Decker struck out looking, 2 outs
- Bissetta grounded out to second, 3 outs
Bottom 3rd:
- Aloy singled to left
- Pompey struck out swinging, 1 out
- Rutenbar grounded into a double play, short to first, Aloy out at second, 3 outs
Top 3rd:
- Furniss grounded out to short, 1 out
- Federico struck out looking, 2 outs
- Reuter struck out looking, 3 outs
Bottom 2nd:
- Helfrick flied out to left, 1 out
- Souza grounded out to first, 2 outs
- Ruiz doubled to right center
- Ruiz advanced to third on a wild pitch
- Stewart grounded out to second, 3 outs
Top 2nd:
- Jones struck out swinging, 1 out
- Decker singled to center
- Bissetta struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Utermark flied out to left, 3 outs
Bottom 1st:
- Rutenbar struck out looking, 1 out
- Niu grounded out to short, 2 outs
- Kozeal popped up to first, 3 outs
Top 1st:
- Decker singled off the pitcher up the middle
- Bissetta walked, Decker to second
- Utermark struck out looking, 1 out
- Furniss singled to first, Decker to third, Bissetta to second
- Federico singled to left, Decker scored, Bissetta to third, Furniss to second, Ole Miss 1, Arkansas 0
- Reuter homered to left, Bissetta scored, Furniss scored, Federico scored, Ole Miss 5, Arkansas 0
- Fawley flied out to right, 2 outs
- Paino grounded out to third, 3 outs
