The powder blue magic and recent Baum Stadium dominance was not there for the Rebels to begin Super Regional play.
The Arkansas Razorbacks used five hits in the first two innings to score early and often on the way to an 11-2 victory over the Ole Miss Rebels Game 1 of the NCAA Fayetteville Super Regional. The Rebels will now have to rely on a hot freshman left hander Doug Nikhazy Sunday to keep their season alive.
Will Ethridge (7-7) could not replicate his performance in the Oxford Regional last week. He struggled against the Hogs, going only 3.1 innings and allowing six hits and a home run. The onslaught continued in the Rebel bullpen. Tyler Myers gave up four hits, two of which were home runs. Kaleb Hill and Max Cioffi also came in to stop the bleeding, but with significant
damage already done. Ole Miss, in total, gave up 11 hits.
Before being down early, it was Ole Miss who got on the scoreboard first seven pitches into the ball game when Grae Kessinger hit a solo bomb to left center field. Arkansas responded, emphatically too.
The Razorbacks got hits from their first two batters. A chopper first base side by Dominic Fletcher scored Trevor Ezell to tie the game early. It would get worse. Kenley hit a wind aided three-run home run to bust the game open, giving the Razorbacks a 4-1 advantage. It took Ethridge 45 of his 87 total pitches to get out of the inning. Arkansas didn’t look back from that point on. The Rebels would give up two runs in the 2nd inning, three runs in the 4th inning, and two more runs in the 6th inning.
The top of the order for Arkansas was dominant. Their first four batters, Trevor Ezell, Casey Martin, Matt Goodheart and Dominic Fletcher all went a combined 9-18 at the plate with eight runs scored.
Isaiah Campbell (12-1) pitched a gem on the mound for Arkansas. He went 8.1 innings and gave up only four hits and struck out seven batters on 102 pitches.
Grae Kessinger, Tyler Keenan, and Jacob Adams each got one hit a piece. Thomas Dillard went 2-4 with a home run on the first pitch in the final inning of play.
Ole Miss will have the chance to rebound and save their season Sunday at 2 p.m. on ESPNU.
