FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 17 Ole Miss (31-16, 12-11 SEC) scored five in the top of the first and never looked back on its way to an 11-4 series-evening win over No. 22 Arkansas (31-17, 12-11 SEC) Saturday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium.
The Razorbacks and Rebels will decide the series at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 3, on SEC Network with Tom Hart (play-by-play) and Chris Burke (analyst) on the call. Arkansas has won five consecutive weekend series against Ole Miss (2021-25).
Cole Gibler, making his fourth start of the season on the mound, struck out a career-high nine batters in 5.1 innings. The Razorback left-hander, however, was tagged for seven runs, including a grand slam in the first, to suffer his second loss.
Arkansas’ offensive production came on home runs by Maika Niu, Kuhio Aloy and Camden Kozeal. Niu hit a two-run blast, his sixth of the season, in the sixth, and Aloy swatted a solo shot, his seventh of the year and second in as many days, in the seventh before Kozeal’s solo shot, his 14th long ball of the campaign and second of the series, in the eighth.
Aloy was one of two Hogs, along with Damian Ruiz (2-for-4, 2B), to finish with multiple hits in Saturday’s setback. The Razorback designated hitter, who now has 15 multi-hit games on the year, raised his season slash line to .309/.370/.490.
In relief of Gibler, right-handers Tate McGuire (2.2 IP, 2 R, 3 SO) and Jackson Kircher (1.0 IP, 2 R, 2 SO) worked the game’s final 3.2 innings. The Razorback pitching staff combined for 14 strikeouts with just one walk in the loss.
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