Ole Miss Responds With 16 Hits in Big Win vs. Arkansas

After a night in which the Ole Miss offense struck out looking nine times, the Rebels came back on Saturday with a noticeably simpler approach. The result was immediate: putting the ball in play changed the tone of the game. Sometimes it's really that simple.

Dom Decker hit a bullet that hit Arkansas starting pitcher Cole Gilber in the shoulder, to give Ole Miss an early baserunner. After a Tristan Bissetta walk, Will Furniss would send a ball bouncing off the infield grass in no man's land between first and second. Arkansas didn't cover the bag, and Ole Miss loaded the bases with one out.

Hayden Federico would hit a line drive shot to left field that dropped just out of reach of Arkansas left fielder Damien Ruiz, scoring Decker. Collin Reuter then delivered a towering grand slam to left-center field that gave Ole Miss a 5-0 lead after one.

Cade Townsend turned in an excellent outing on Saturday, working 5.2 innings and allowing two runs on four hits with just one walk.

Ole Miss Pitcher Cade Townsend Shines

Ole Miss pitcher Cade Townsend celebrates a strike out in his dominating performance over Tennessee on April 18, 2026 — Ole Miss pitcher Cade Townsend (10) celebrates a strikeout during a NCAA baseball game between Tennessee and Ole Miss at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on April 18, 2026. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Gilbert settled in for the Razorbacks, working 5.1 innings and recording nine strikeouts to stabilize the outing.

Cade Townsend turned in an excellent outing on Saturday, working 5.2 innings and allowing two runs on four hits with just one walk.

He commanded the strike zone throughout, needing just 70 pitches to work through five complete innings.

Austin Fawley would provide a spark in the middle innings, launching his eighth and ninth home runs of the season with a 442-foot blast to center in the fourth and a 397-foot towering fly ball that would ride the wind out of the park in the sixth to give the Rebels a 7-0 lead.

But with two outs in the sixth, Carter Rutenbar doubled, and Maika Niu connected on a home run to cut the lead to 7-2. That would end Townsend's day.

Hudson Calhoun entered in relief, and what should have been the third out of the sixth got away on a dropped third strike, allowing the inning to continue and the bases loaded. Calhoun responded, working out the jam when Damien Ruiz grounded into the shift up the middle, and Decker was able to step on second to end the inning.

After a Judd Utermark single in the seventh, Will Furniss stepped up and blasted a 434-foot no-doubter, erasing the two runs lost and extending the lead to 9-2.

Arkansas would not go away as designated hitter Kuhio Aloy added a solo home run in the seventh and shortstop Camden Kozeal added another in the eighth to cut the lead to 9-4.

Ole Miss added insurance in the top of the ninth when Utermark scored on a Federico double to right-center. Collin Reuter then drove in pinch runner Cannon Goldin to extend the lead to 11-4.

Left-handed reliever Walker Hooks threw the final 1.2 innings to secure the 11-4 victory and even the weekend series.

Ole Miss finished with 16 hits on the afternoon, a signal to a corrected approach at the plate. After a night defined by watching strike three, the Rebels flipped the script, putting the ball in play and letting the result take care of itself.

First pitch for Sunday's deciding game three is scheduled for 2 p.m. and broadcast on the SEC Network.

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