Ole Miss drops rubber game, 4-3, to Arkansas as Razorbacks take the series
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Ole Miss fell, 4-3, to No. 4 Arkansas in the rubber game of the series Sunday at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Starter Derek Diamond received the loss, allowing four runs in 4.2 innings of work. John Gaddis delivered 2.1 shutout innings of relief, while Brandon Johnson threw a scoreless inning of his own.
“That’s the SEC,” head coach Mike Bianco said after the game.
“You have to make enough pitches, make enough plays, make enough hits to win a baseball game when you go up against a team on the road like Arkansas. You have to outplay them. We played pretty good, but not good enough. As I told the guys, there are no moral victories. We’re way past that. I am proud of how they hung together. It hasn’t been easy. It’s been a tough year. We haven’t played well, but man they played their rear ends off. They’ve come out every day and competed. At some point, it’ll turn around. We need it to turn around quickly, obviously. We have to keep fighting like we’re fighting.“
Coach Mike Bianco
In the top of the first inning, Justin Bench led off the game for the Rebels with a walk. He would later advance to second on a wild pitch, putting a runner in scoring position with one out for Tim Elko.
Elko singled to center field, scoring Bench from second, giving Ole Miss an early 1-0 lead.
Tim Elko is still doing Tim Elko things. Rebs lead early!@TimElko | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/csmHw3Mxl2
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 1, 2022
After allowing a lead-off single in the bottom of the inning, Diamond would retire the next three batters in order.
Arkansas would take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second when Cayden Wallace hit a one out double that was followed by Chris Lanzilli’s two-out, two-run homer that put the Razorbacks ahead by a run.
Ole Miss regained the lead in the top of fourth. Elko led off the inning by drawing a walk. Kevin Graham would advance him to third with a double to right field, putting two runners in scoring position for Kemp Alderman.
Alderman came through with a clutch single into right field, scoring Elko and Graham and putting the Rebs ahead by a score of 3-2.
Bats are cooking in the 4th!
Kemp gets us back in front and there are still no outs! pic.twitter.com/jkqtTAzXWz
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 1, 2022
Alderman’s single would chase the Razorback starter, Jaxon Wiggins, getting into the Arkansas bullpen early in the game.
Through four complete innings, Diamond had given up six hits and two earned runs. He was able to limit the damage, getting big outs when he needed them.
In the bottom of the fifth, Diamond would give up a two-out single before Arkansas took the lead back a with a two-run homer from Michael Turner, that gave the Hogs a 4-3 lead. That would mark the end of Diamond’s day as he would give way to John Gaddis.
In the top of the sixth, Graham would reach base via an Arkansas error before Kemp Alderman grounded into a double play.
TJ McCants then drew a two-out walk. Calvin Harris put a charge into a ball out to right field that was caught by a Razorback outfielder up against the wall. Harris’ deep fly was mere feet from giving Ole Miss the lead.
In the top of the ninth, Ole Miss filled the bases but couldn’t come through with the clutch hit, dropping a tight affair to close out the series with a 4-3 loss.
Next Up:
Ole Miss resumes SEC play next weekend at home, hosting Missouri in a three-game series at Swayze Field. All three games will stream on SEC Network + and can be heard through the Ole Miss Radio Network.
Nick Filipich
Nick Filipich was born and raised in Biloxi, MS. He is an Ole Miss alum with a degree in Sports and Recreation Administration. A sports junkie with a great passion for all things Ole Miss, Nick played baseball and football in high school — which is where he discovered his love for sports. He is an avid Braves and Saints fan, and in his free time enjoys spending time with family, friends and his black lab, Dixie.
