OXFORD | Xavier Rivas put together another solid start and gave the Ole Miss offense enough time to make a difference — and make Saturday a pivotal rubber game.
After Arkansas beat Ole Miss, 11-2, in the first game of the day, Rivas tied a career high with six innings and led the Rebels to a 7-4 win to earn the split. The two teams play again at 2 p.m. on Saturday. SEC Network is broadcasting the finale.
Ole Miss is 2-9 in the SEC and 18-12 overall, while Arkansas is 7-4 in the SEC and 24-6 overall.
"It's tough when you get your butt kicked, but you see it in this league, where teams respond in game two," Mike Bianco said. "Fortunately that happened for us. We played well and gave ourselves a chance."
The Rebels desperately needed the nightcap to build some hope for a turnaround, and Rivas delivered. The transfer went at least five innings for the fourth time in the last five weeks, giving up five hits and two runs. The lefty struck out seven and scattered four walks and a hit by pitch.
Rivas threw 65 strikes and a career-high 109 pitches.
"I minimized the damage and we really needed that as a team to not have another rough game," Rivas said. "I needed to give them a chance and not give up runs early. I couldn't let the spirits get down."
He struck out Tavian Josenberger with the bases loaded in the second inning and stranded two runners in both the fourth and fifth innings. Arkansas, for the game, was 3-for-19 with runners on base and 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
"He was terrific, and so often it's about can you get off the field and make the pitch," Bianco said. "He pitched around some traffic and other times had total control. He went head to head and I'm proud of him."
Ole Miss and Arkansas were tied at two when the Rebels put together a five-run sixth inning. Ethan Groff started the inning with a solo home run to give Ole Miss the lead. After Calvin Harris scored on a Cody Adcock wild pitch, Ethan Lege hit a three-run home run off Adcock, who pitched for the Rebels in 2021.
Both home runs came on 0-1 counts.
Adcock transferred to Crowder College in 2022 before moving on to Arkansas. He is from Texarkana, Arkansas, and pitched 19.2 innings over 14 appearances for the Rebels.
Lege had three hits, a new career high, and tied a career high with four RBIs. Groff and Kemp Alderman had two hits.
Ole Miss got to starter Hagan Smith for four runs in 5.1 innings. It's the first time Smith has pitched in an Arkansas loss this season.
"We were aggressive and went after his fastball," Bianco said. "He's one of the better pitchers in the conference and is seasoned. We had much better at-bats."
Mitch Murrell threw two shutout innings in relief of Rivas before giving up a two-run home run in the ninth. Mason Nichols hit the first batter he faced but picked up his third save of the season with three straight outs.
"We needed somebody to get nine outs," Bianco said. "It was between him and Nichols to navigate through that, and he was terrific those two innings. We needed it."
Arkansas dominated the series opener behind six shutout innings from Hunter Hollan. He stranded three hits and three walks with four walks.
"He has a good mix and has enough fastball to beat you," Bianco said. "We looked very uncomfortable and he ran through us, especially in the early innings. We're disappointed in that performance."
The Razorbacks scored six runs in the fifth inning. Ole Miss starter Jack Dougherty allowed eight hits and eight runs — six earned. Arkansas went up 2-0 after a Peyton Chatagnier error with two outs extended the inning and led to a Razorback home run in the second inning.
Alderman hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning for Ole Miss’ only runs.
