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Razorbacks Drop SEC Opener Against Rebels by Thousand Paper Cuts

Ole Miss overwhelms Arkansas pitching staff with traffic on the bases

Daniel Shi

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn against the Grambling Tigers at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.
Arkansas Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn against the Grambling Tigers at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. / Andy Hodges-Hogs on SI Images
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OXFORD, Miss. — Arkansas' pitching staff tied its season-high, allowing 10 runs against the No. 13 Ole Miss Rebels as the Razorbacks dropped the SEC opener 10-6. The Hogs had its 12-game winning streak snapped.

The Rebels scored at least one run in each of the first six innings, including getting the leadoff hitter aboard each time.

Designated hitter Hayden Federico needed just one pitch to welcome Zach Root to SEC play, taking advantage of the wind blowing out to left for a leadoff homer.

"He was pitching from behind a lot," coach Dave Van Horn said. "It just was a tough situation. Wind blowing out hard, behind in the count. Give credit to Ole Miss's hitters. They fouled off a lot of pitches and laid off a lot of borderline pitches.  Just not the command that he's had."

Root wasn't his normal sharp self after Van Horn tabbed the lefty for his first career Friday start. The lefty allowed seven runs in three plus innings of work.

Arkansas came into the day leading the nation in fielding percentage of .989, but less than stellar defense put the Razorbacks in an early hole.

Justin Thomas Jr. dove for a ball in center field and missed it, allowing another run to score in the bottom of the first.

"That ball is going to drop," Van Horn said. "If it had been a dive where it hits your glove... [That's different.] But it was 3-4 feet in front of him. With two outs and a runner scores from first."

Third baseman Brent Iredale booted a double play ball for his first error of the season to allow Ole Miss to tack on an extra run in the third.

Arkansas couldn't find the critical hit against starter Hunter Elliott despite working his pitch count. Elliott fought his way through five innings of two-run ball on 93 pitches and struck out eight.

"They are hard to punch out," Elliott said. "You get them to two [strikes] and they just fight you to the death. Just a great way to start conference play."

Ole Miss was 9-for-20 with runners on base compared to Arkansas' 3-for-16.

Right fielder Mitchell Samford's two-run homer gave the Rebels a 7-2 lead and knocked Root out of the game as Ole Miss responded with runs of its own when the Hogs scratched a run across in the second and third.

Kuhio Aloy's 3-for-5 day was not enough for a Razorback offense that stranded six runners on base.

Arkansas' best chance to get back into the game was in the sixth in a 9-2 game when the Hogs loaded the bases with nobody out, but Mason Morris limited the damage to just a sac fly and a RBI single.

Logan Maxwell and Charles Davalan each added a solo homer in the seventh and ninth respectively, but the tying run never came to the plate.

Game two of the series is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday and will be streamed on SEC+.

HOGS FEED:

• Injuries may have placed Razorbacks on bouncing bubble for NCAA

• Arkansas loss exactly what Hogs needed

• Red-hot Hogs must stop Ole Miss slugger in first SEC series

• Dix Confident Relationship with Sorey Will Create Dynamic LB Duo

• Arkansas shakes rotation up ahead of ttarting SEC play

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Daniel Shi
DANIEL SHI

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