Razorbacks blast four home runs to run-rule Ole Miss in series opener
No. 22 Arkansas (31-16, 12-10 SEC) hit 4 home runs, their most in a league game since March 20 against South Carolina en route to a 12-2 run-rule win in 7 innings against No. 17 Ole Miss (31-16, 11-11 SEC).
Arkansas got bad news pregame as coach Dave Van Horn confirmed that first baseman Reese Robinett could be out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
Zack Stewart came into the game with just 24 at-bats against lefties, but got the start against Ole Miss lefty Hunter Elliott. In three previous starts against Arkansas, Elliott allowed just 6 earned runs in 17 ⅓ innings. Fourth time is the charm as Arkansas tagged Elliott for 6 earned runs in 3+ runs on a trio of home runs.
Stewart held his own against Elliott, working a 7-pitch, 2-out full count walk to extend the inning to TJ Pompey. Pompey hit a 3-run homer to left-center to give the Hogs an early 3-0 lead in the second.
That would be all the offense that Arkansas would need as Hunter Dietz turned in his fourth quality start in his last five appearances. Dietz struck out 9 Rebels in 6 innings of 1-run ball and now has 100 strikeouts on the season, the first in the SEC to reach the century mark.
Camden Kozeal added a 2-run shot in the third inning before Kuhio Aloy hit his first home run in 46 at-bats to push Arkansas’ lead to 6-0.
Dietz worked around 4 walks across his outing with the help of two ground ball double plays and faced 24 batters. The only blemish against Dietz was a solo home run from Judd Utermark in the top of the sixth.
Ryder Helfrick gave Arkansas all the insurance they would need with a 3-run home run in the bottom of the sixth, his team-leading 15th of the season and put the game into run-rule territory, 11-1.
Cooper Dossett gave up a solo home run to Austin Fawley in the seventh in relief, but Arkansas got that run right back with an RBI double to cap Aloy’s 3-for-4 day to walk off the Rebels.
Arkansas looks to clinch the series against the Rebels 2 p.m. Saturday. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+.
Live Updates:
No. 22 Arkansas (30-16, 11-10 SEC) opens a weekend series against No. 17 Ole Miss (31-15, 11-10 SEC). Both teams are looking to build their resume in the final 9 games of the regular season. Arkansas will be without first baseman Reese Robinett after he was listed as “out” on the SEC Availability Report. Arkansas sends lefty ace Hunter Dietz (5-2, 3.62 ERA) while Ole Miss counters with fellow southpaw Hunter Elliott (4-1, 5.82 ERA). Elliott has made three previous starts against Arkansas, allowing 6 earned runs in 17 ⅓ innings (3.11 ERA).
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Starting Lineups:
Arkansas:
1B Carter Rutenbar
CF Maika Niu
C Ryder Helfrick
SS Camden Kozeal
LF Damian Ruiz
2B Nolan Souza
DH Kuhio Aloy
RF Zack Stewart
3B TJ Pompey
LHP Hunter Dietz
Ole Miss:
CF Hayden Federico
RF Tristan Bissetta
3B Judd Utermark
1B Will Furniss
DH Colin Reuter
LF Topher Jones
2B Dom Decker
C Austin Fawley
SS Owen Paino
LHP Hunter Elliott
Bottom 7th:
- Ruiz flied out to left, 1 out
- Souza singled to second
- Aloy doubled to right, Souza scored, Arkansas 12, Ole Miss 2
Top 7th:
- Cooper Dossett replaced Dietz
- Alexander Peck replaced Rutenbar at first
- Decker grounded out to short, 1 out
- Fawley homered to left, Arkansas 11, Ole Miss 2
- Paino struck out looking, 2 outs
- Federico singled to left
- Brett Moseley replaced Federico at first base
- Bissetta struck out swinging, 3 outs
Bottom 6th:
- Landon Koenig replaced Waters
- Souza tripled to right center
- Aloy grounded out to first, Souza scored, 1 out, Arkansas 7, Ole Miss 1
- Stewart hit by pitch
- Pompey reached on a fielder’s choice, Stewart advanced to second on a throwing error by the shortstop
- Rutenbar struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Niu singled to center, Stewart scored, Pompey to third, Arkansas 8, Ole Miss 1
- Niu stole second
- Helfrick homered to right, Niu scored, Pompey scored, Arkansas 11, Ole Miss 1
- Terry Hayes Jr. replaced Koenig
- Kozeal flied out to center, 3 outs
Top 6th:
- Federico flied out to center, 1 out
- Bissetta lined out to right, 2 outs
- Utermark homered to right, Arkansas 6, Ole Miss 1
- Furniss walked
- Reuter walked, Furniss to second
- Jones struck out looking, 3 outs
Bottom 5th:
- Helfrick struck out looking, 1 out
- Kozeal struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Ruiz lined out to right, 3 outs
Top 5th:
- Reuter singled to center
- Jones struck out swinging, 1 out
- Decker grounded out to first, Reuter to second
- Fawley walked
- Paino struck out looking, 3 outs
Bottom 4th:
- Aloy homered to center, 1 out, Arkansas 6, Ole Miss 0
- Stewart walked
- Landon Waters replaced Elliott
- Pompey grounded into a fielder’s choice, short to second, Stewart out at second, 1 out
- Pompey stole second
- Rutenbar struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Niu grounded out to short, 3 outs
Top 4th:
- Bissetta struck out looking, 1 out
- Utermark flied out to right, 2 outs
- Furniss struck out looking, 3 outs
Bottom 3rd:
- Niu grounded out to short, 1 out
- Helfrick walked
- Kozeal homered to right, Helfrick scored, Arkansas 5, Ole Miss 0
- Ruiz grounded out to second, 2 outs
- Souza flied out to right, 3 outs
Top 3rd:
- Decker fouled out to third, 1 out
- Fawley walked
- Paino singled to center, Fawley to second
- Federico grounded into a double play, short to second to first, Paino out at second, 3 outs
Bottom 2nd:
- Ruiz singled to center
- Souza flied out to center, 1 out
- Ruiz picked off, pitcher to first to second to pitcher to short, 2 outs
- Aloy singled to right
- Stewart walked, Aloy to second
- Pompey homered to left center, Aloy scored, Stewart scored, Arkansas 3, Ole Miss 0
- Rutenbar struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 2nd:
- Furniss singled to center
- Reuter grounded into a double play, third to second to first, Furniss out at second, 2 outs
- Jones struck out looking, 3 outs
Bottom 1st:
- Rutenbar hit by a pitch
- Niu struck out swinging, 1 out
- Rutenbar advanced to second on a wild pitch
- Helfrick flied out to center, 2 outs
- Kozeal fouled out to third, 3 outs
Top 1st:
- Federico struck out looking, 1 out
- Bissetta struck out looking, 2 outs
- Utermark struck out looking, 3 outs
Hunter Dietz works back from 3-0 to K the leadoff hitter. Strikes out the side on just 13 pitches.
