No. 17 Ole Miss Baseball Run-Ruled as Rebels Drop Series Opener Against No. 22 Arkansas, 12-2

The No. 17 Ole Miss baseball team fell to the No. 22 Arkansas Razorbacks via a 12-2 run-rule game in the weekend series opener Friday night in Fayetteville at Baum-Walker Stadium.

Hunter Elliott took the mound for Ole Miss today, attempting to shake a lackluster start last week, but was unsuccessful, getting chased in the fourth inning after allowing three home runs, and going down 6-0. Elliott’s final line was 3.0+ innings pitched, 5 hits, 6 earned runs, 3 walks, and 2 strikeouts.

It was a complete 180 on the other side as Arkansas starter Hunter Dietz came in and dealt for the Razorbacks. Dietz finished his outing with 6.0 innings pitched, 4 hits, and one earned run,

The Razorbacks struck first with authority, getting to Elliott in the second with a three-run homer from TJ Pompey, and again in the third when Camden Kozeal crushed a two-run shot for an early 5-0 Arkansas lead.

Kuhio Aloy kept the party going for Arkansas, sending a leadoff homer into center field, giving the Razorbacks their third home run in three innings.

The Rebels put themselves on the board in the sixth inning when Judd Utermark sent out a solo shot, the 47th of his career, putting him in sole possession of second place all-time in Ole Miss home runs, just one away from tying Kyle Gordon’s record.

Ole Miss stayed threatening with two outs, with runners on first and second, but Dietz finished his outing, picking up his ninth strikeout of the night, ending the frame, and keeping the Arkansas lead at 6-1.

Unfortunately for Ole Miss, the Razorbacks not only answered, but added on, notching a five-run sixth inning to go up 11-1, putting the Rebels in danger of getting run ruled. The frame was started by a leadoff triple from Damian Ruiz and an RBI groundout from Nolan Souza, knocking him in. Maika Nui then slapped an RBI single, before Ryder Helfrick capped off the inning with a three-run jack into the opposite field to give Arkansas an 11-1 lead heading into the seventh.

Cooper Dossett entered on the mound to finish off Dietz’s dominant pitching performance, looking close to the run rule victory, but that was spoiled when Austin Fawley crushed a solo home run with one out, making it 11-2 Razorbacks.

However, the Rebels’ run-rule evasion was temporary as Aloy walked it off with an RBI double and his third RBI of the night to give the Razorbacks a 12-2 lead.

A Look Ahead

The Rebels and Razorbacks will return to the Saturday tomorrow at 2 P.M. CT for game two of the three-game series.