Turner walks off Rebels, Razorbacks clinch series
FAYETTEVILLE – No. 22 Arkansas (32-17, 13-11 SEC) won its first SEC home series since March, getting a 2-run walk-off home run from Christian Turner, who entered as a pinch-runner in the seventh. Turner had not recorded an official at-bat in an SEC game since April 11 against Alabama.
Ole Miss called on closer Walker Hooks for the second straight day after throwing 23 pitches Saturday. Hooks came in and got back-to-back strikeouts of Camden Kozeal and Maika Niu to get the Rebels out of a bases loaded one-out situation in the seventh in a 3-3 ball game and pitched a 1-2-3 eighth.
Judd Utermark gave the Rebels the lead in the eighth on the second pitch from Ethan McElvain, hitting a go-ahead solo home run, his 19th of the season.
With Hooks already at 24 pitches coming into the ninth, Souza fouled off two straight 1-2 pitches to keep the at-bat alive and smack a leadoff single into right.
With the wind blowing toward the left field foul line, Turner just missed an extra base hit earlier in the at-bat that blew foul but did not miss his chance a second time to keep Arkansas above .500 in SEC play.
Both teams relied heavily on the long ball to supply the offense early. Owen Paino gave Ole Miss 3 runs on one swing off starter Gabe Gaeckle in the second to give Ole Miss a 3-1 lead. Gaeckle returned to the starting rotation after a month out of the bullpen. Gaeckle lasted just 4 innings, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) and striking out 5.
Kuhio Aloy gave Arkansas an RBI single in the first to open the scoring and also hit his third home run in as many games. He finished the series 7-for-12 and now tied with Damian Ruiz for the team lead in batting average (.314).
Zack Stewart also added a solo home run in the fifth, his eighth of the season.
Parker Coil served as the bridge to get to McElvain as the closer. Coil pitched 3 scoreless innings to drop his season ERA to 2.70.
Arkansas now welcomes in Oklahoma for the final home series of the season. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday and will be streamed on SEC Network+.
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No. 22 Arkansas (31-17, 12-11 SEC) looks to win the rubber match against No. 17 Ole Miss (32-16, 12-11 SEC). Arkansas turns back to Gabe Gaeckle (5-3, 4.34 ERA) to start for the first time since April 2, his final game in the number one starter role.
Razorback skipper Dave Van Horn also makes some drastic changes to the lineup, pulling Rutenbar out of the leadoff spot for the first time since April 7. Rutenbar is 6 for his last 27 (.222) and pushes Kuhio Aloy up to fifth in the lineup after he started the series 5-for-8 with 12 total bases and a pair of home runs. Ole Miss starts righty Taylor Rabe (3-3, 4.24 ERA).
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Starting Lineups:
Arkansas:
LF Damian Ruiz
C Ryder Helfrick
SS Camden Kozeal
CF Maika Niu
DH Kuhio Aloy
1B Carter Rutenbar
3B TJ Pompey
2B Nolan Souza
RF Zack Stewart
RHP Gabe Gaeckle
Ole Miss:
2B Dom Decker
RF Tristan Bissetta
3B Judd Utermark
1B Will Furniss
CF Hayden Federico
DH Colin Reuter
SS Owen Paino
C Austin Fawley
LF Cannon Goldin
RHP Taylor Rabe
Bottom 9th:
- Souza singled to right
- Turner homered to right, Souza scored, Arkansas 5, Ole Miss 4
Top 9th:
- Fawley popped out to third, 1 out
- Daniel Pacella replaced Sirmans
- Pacella flied out to right, 2 outs
- Decker struck out swinging, 3 outs
Bottom 8th:
- Aloy struck out swinging, 1 out
- Rutenbar lined out to short, 2 outs
- Pompey grounded out to third, 3 outs
Top 8th:
- Ethan McElvain replaced Coil
- Utermark homered to center, Ole Miss 4, Arkansas 3
- Furniss grounded out to short, 1 out
- Federico struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Reuter singled to left
- Paino flied out to right, 3 outs
Bottom 7th:
- Souza singled to right
- Stewart walked, Souza to second
- Christian Turner replaced Stewart at first base
- Walker Hooks replaced Robertson
- Ruiz grounded out to third, bunt, sacrifice, Souza to third, Turner to second, 1 out
- Helfrick intentionally walked
- Kozeal struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Niu struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 7th:
- Tate Sirmans replaced Goldin
- Sirmans struck out looking, 1 out
- Decker struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Bissetta struck out looking, 3 outs
Bottom 6th:
- JP Robertson replaced Rabe
- Niu struck out swinging, 1 out
- Aloy homered to left, Ole Miss 3, Arkansas 3
- Rutenbar walked
- Pompey grounded into a double play, short to second to first, Rutenbar out at second, 3 outs
Top 6th:
- Furniss grounded out to second, 1 out
- Federico hit by a pitch
- Reuter lined out to right, 2 outs
- Paino walked, Federico to second
- Fawley grounded into a fielder’s choice, short to second, Federico out at second, 3 outs
Bottom 5th:
- Souza grounded out to short, 1 out
- Stewart homered to left, Ole Miss 3, Arkansas 2
- Ruiz struck out looking, 2 outs
- Helfrick singled to center
- Kozeal flied out to left, 3 outs
Top 5th:
- Parker Coil replaced Gaeckle
- Decker lined out to center, 1 out
- Bissetta grounded out to second, 2 outs
- Utermark flied out to right, 3 outs
Bottom 4th:
- Aloy grounded out to short, 1 out
- Rutenbar struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Pompey popped up to first, 3 outs
Top 4th:
- Reuter struck out looking, 1 out
- Paino singled to right
- Fawley walked, Paino to second
- Goldin struck out looking, 2 outs
- Fawley out at second on a wild pitch, catcher to short, 3 outs
Bottom 3rd:
- Helfrick lined out to center, 1 out
- Kozeal struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Niu struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 3rd:
- Bissetta lined out to first, 1 out
- Utermark singled to center
- Furniss grounded out to the pitcher, Utermark to second, 2 outs
- Utermark advanced to third on a wild pitch
- Federico grounded out to second, 3 outs
Bottom 2nd:
- Pompey singled to right, advanced to second on an error by the right fielder, Pompey out at third right to short to third, 1 out
- Souza struck out looking, 2 outs
- Stewart walked
- Ruiz grounded out to the catcher, 3 outs
Arkansas looked to have a leadoff runner on either second or third after Ole Miss right fielder Tristan Bissetta misplayed a ball in right. Pompey looked to be adjusting his helmet between second and third and was thrown out.
Top 2nd:
- Furniss singled to left
- Federico reached on a fielder’s choice, Furniss to second on a throwing error by the second baseman, Federico to first
- Reuter struck out swinging, 1 out
- Paino homered to left, Federico scored, Furniss scored, Ole Miss 3, Arkansas 1
- Fawley lined out to third, 2 outs
- Goldin singled to center
- Decker struck out swinging, 3 outs
Bottom 1st:
- Ruiz singled to center
- Ruiz stole second
- Helfrick walked
- Kozeal grounded into a fielder’s choice, Helfrick out at second, second to short, 1 out, Ruiz to third, Kozeal to first
- Niu struck out looking, 2 outs
- Aloy singled to left, Ruiz scored, Kozeal to second, Arkansas 1, Ole Miss 0
- Rutenbar struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 1st:
- Decker flied out to center, 1 out
- Bissetta grounded out to first, 2 outs
- Utermark struck out swinging, 3 outs
