Following their midweek win over Memphis, Ole Miss looked to grab their first series win this weekend over divisional foe Arkansas. The two teams previously met in the College World Series last summer which saw the Rebels down the Hogs 2-0 en-route to the program’s first national championship.
Both squads are stocked with talent, something that was evident in their matchups in Omaha last year. Rosters include Jacob Gonzalez, Peyton Chatagnier, Brady Slavens and Peyton Stovall, just to name a few of those who have laced up against one another before.
While the Rebels were able to turn it around last year from a somewhat similar spot as they are now, it seems unlikely to have a repeat occurrence this time ‘round.
With the series opener postponed due to rain, the two Western division foes would be forced to play a double-header on Friday afternoon. Double-headers, like many other things in baseball, can have both potentially good and potentially bad perspectives.
For example, winning the first game of a double-header usually tends to give the winning team that extra momentum heading into game two, especially on the road.
Well, Arkansas did just that.
Despite Rebel starter Jack Dougherty’s solid first four innings where he allowed just two runs, the Razorbacks would score six in the top of the fifth, including a grand slam by Slavens. The absence of Hunter Elliott looms larger and larger as this season goes on and it is crucial to Ole Miss that he should return as soon as possible.
The Rebel offense remained largely unalive in game one, mustering just two runs on six hits. Those two runs came in the bottom of the eighth courtesy of a Kemp Alderman two-run shot to left which plated Gonzalez.
Despite dropping the first game, the Rebels did something that was reminiscent of their magical run last post-season: bounce back on short notice.
With a massive six-run bottom of the sixth, Ole Miss stormed out to a 7-2 lead and would give up just two more runs before it was said and done. Behind a strong start by Xavier Rivas, who only allowed five hits and two runs through five full innings, Ole Miss got a much-needed victory, both in the short and long term.
With the two sides splitting the double-header on Friday, the rubber match on Saturday left it all to play for, a situation these teams were in less than a year ago on the biggest stage of them all. And what a game it was.
The Hogs and the Rebels were going tick-for-tack, back-and-forth throughout the better part of the contest. It was a punch/counterpunch sort of affair with both teams having answers for whatever the other would offer.
Gonzalez had a massive day at the plate in game 3, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a homer. A solid start from JT Quinn saw the Rebels tied when he exited the game, only for the Hogs to steal the lead late and not relinquish it.
This is a very tough point in Ole Miss’ season. Yes, they did just win a national championship despite the unlikeliest of odds and theoretically could do a repeat of that. But, a story like that only occurs once in a lifetime, if you’re lucky. For the Rebels, it’s now do or die.
The Rebels host two midweek games this weekend before making the trip to dread-rival Mississippi State next weekend. Both teams are at the bottom of the barrel in the West, and a series win for either could do wonders for confidence and motivation.
The next matchup for the Rebs comes this Tuesday, April 11 against the Memphis Tigers in Oxford. With the loss last week fresh on the minds of the Tigers, the Rebels will need to be ready to play.
First pitch is at 6:30 p.m CDT on SEC Network+.
