How It Happened: Hunter Elliot Propels No. 13 Ole Miss Baseball to Win Over Arkansas

OXFORD, Miss. – No. 13 Ole Miss got the Southeastern Conference portion of its season started on a positive note with a 10-6 victory over No. 3 Arkansas on Friday at Swayze Field.

The Rebels were led offensively by Mitchell Sanford and Isaac Humphrey, both going 3-for-4 on the day. Hunter Elliott pitched a solid five innings in his first SEC outing since the LSU series in 2023.

After Elliott took care of the Razorbacks in the top of the first inning, the Rebels got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first with two runs.

Hayden Federico wasted no time, sending the first pitch he saw in the leadoff spot out of the park to left.

Then after two outs, Sanford walked, and Judd Utermark doubled to center field to score Sanford.

Arkansas (16-2, 0-1 SEC) got a run in the top of the second. The Rebels (15-2, 1-0 SEC) answered with two of their own in the bottom of the second.

Luke Cheng, with two hits in the game, doubled to right center and advanced to third on a groundout by Federico. Luke Hill singled to score Cheng.

With two outs, Sanford doubled to left to score Hill. It was 4-1 Ole Miss after two complete.

After the Razorbacks got a run in the third, Collin Reuter led off the Rebel third with a single. Austin Fawley reached on an error, and Isaac Humphrey singled to load the bases.

Cheng singled to score Reuter, but that would be all the Rebels would get and led 5-2 through three.

Elliott kept the lead at three runs for Ole Miss, and in the bottom of the fourth his team scored two more. Moerman doubled down the left field line, then Sanford launched one out to left to make it 7-2 for the home team.

After another scoreless frame for Elliott in the fifth, the Rebels went up 9-2 through five with two more runs scored.

Humphrey doubled and later scored on a Hill fly out to center field. Sanford singled up the middle to score Owen Paino from third after Paino pinch ran for Cheng who was hit by a pitch and left the game.

In the top of the sixth, Mason Morris allowed two runs in relief of Elliott. But Ole Miss got one back in the bottom of the sixth on a Will Furniss walk, a Fawley double, and a single to left by Humphrey that scored Furniss. The lead for Ole Miss was 10-4 after six.

Arkansas added two more runs off Morris, and with one out in the ninth, Connor Spencer came in to close out the game.

Elliott (4-0) was the winner, while Arkansas starter Zach Root (2-1) got his first loss.

In addition to the big offensive days for Sanford and Humphrey, the Rebels totaled 14 hits in the game. The Razorbacks had a 10-hit day.

Ole Miss and Arkansas are scheduled to play game two of the series Saturday at 6 p.m.

(Via Ole Miss Athletics Release)

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