Ole Miss Defeats Arkansas 11-4 to Tie Series; Rubber Game Set for Sunday Afternoon
FAYETTEVILLE — No. 17 Ole Miss baseball took game two of the series Saturday, defeating No. 22 Arkansas, 11-4, at Baum-Walker Stadium to tie the series with the Razorbacks.
The Rebels scored 11 runs on 16 hits with no errors. Arkansas tallied four runs on seven hits with no errors.
A day after Ole Miss (32-16, 12-11 SEC) was held to just two runs Friday night, the Rebels jumped out to a five-run advantage in the first. Hayden Federico brought home the first of the game as he singled to left and scored Dom Decker.
Later in the inning, Ole Miss loaded the bases for Collin Reuter, who hit a grand slam to put the Rebels up 5-0.
REUTER. GONE. pic.twitter.com/ltCTBws2rH
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 2, 2026
“I was just ready for the fastball and I got it and then I just hit a grand slam,” Reuter said after the game.
“I mean, that’s what we needed to throw the first punch and I think getting that big spot in the first was what really helped us get going.”
Collin Reuter on his grand slam
Ole Miss starter Cade Townsend kept the Razorback hitters off balance for five innings.
Townsend continues to carve pic.twitter.com/hVrDUQkwMj
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 2, 2026
Arkansas starter Cole Gibler settled in after the first and kept Ole Miss off the scoreboard in the second and third.
The Rebels catcher, Austin Fawley, hit a solo home run to center to lead off the fourth inning and give Ole Miss a 6-0 lead. He delivered again in the sixth with a home run to right. Fawley has hit a total of nine home runs on the season.
FAWLEY. AGAIN. 😤 pic.twitter.com/ZIUu5HH2Yv
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 2, 2026
“You gotta shoot some of your bullets and you got to throw some punches and certainly today we did,” Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said following the win.
“Obviously, a huge day for Reuter but it just seemed like we continued to have good at-bats. Then when we didn’t have a good at-bat, whatever that was. Whether that was a punch with a runner in scoring position, we came back and had another good at-bat.”
Coach Mike Bianco
Gibler tossed 5.1 innings for the Razorbacks, allowing seven runs on nine hits with a walk and nine strikeouts.
Arkansas got on the scoreboard in the sixth, as Maika Niu smashed a two-run home run to left field that scored Carter Rutenbar, cutting the Ole Miss lead to 7-2.
Townsend worked 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with a walk and five strikeouts. “I really wanted to win today and put is in a good spot,” he said.
“That’s all that matters, is taking the game and winning the game. It was tough to be in the dugout and see us lose (on Friday), but today I was like, ‘Alright, lets go.‘”
Cade Townsend
Coach Mike Bianco then made the call to the bullpen for Hudson Calhoun in the sixth.
Will Furniss smashed a two-run, home run in the seventh, scoring Judd Utermark.
No Doubter. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/voLoh5yueS
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 2, 2026
The Razorbacks got solo home runs by Kuhio Aloy (bottom of seventh) and Camden Kozeal (bottom of eighth) to cut the Ole Miss lead to 9-4.
On the day, Calhoun tossed 1.2 innings, allowing two runs on two hits with a pair of walks and three strikeouts.
Walker Hooks worked the final 1.2 innings for Ole Miss with no runs on a hit, no walks and no strikeouts.
Ole Miss scored its final two runs of the game in the top of the ninth on a double by Federico that scored Utermark and a single by Reuter that scored Goldin.
Federico plates one pic.twitter.com/cUbRrdtuLS
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 2, 2026
Next Up:
Ole Miss will take on Arkansas in the rubber game of the series on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT. It can be seen on the SEC Network.
Adam Brown
Adam Brown returns to The Rebel Walk after being on the Ole Miss beat as a Sports Editor for over 13 years. He is a lifelong Oxford resident. Brown graduated from the University of Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
Prior to The Rebel Walk, Brown was the sports editor of HottyToddy.com covering every Ole Miss sport and local high school sports in the community.
