Ole Miss Tops Arkansas 11-4 After Five-Run First — Arkansas Baseball
No. 17 Ole Miss handed arkansas baseball an 11-4 loss Saturday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium, opening with five runs in the top of the first and forcing the SEC series to be decided Sunday. The Rebels and Razorbacks entered the game tied at 12-11 in conference play, so the result left both teams with the same path into the finale.
Ole Miss Opens Fast
Five runs in the first inning put Arkansas on its heels immediately. Ole Miss turned the game before the Razorbacks could settle in, and the early burst held up the rest of the way as the Rebels evened the series at 1-1.
That start also ended Arkansas’ run of five straight weekend series wins over Ole Miss from 2021 through 2025. With the teams splitting the first two games and carrying matching 12-11 SEC records into Saturday, the margin for error disappeared quickly once the Rebels scored first and in volume.
Cole Gibler Strikes Out Nine
Cole Gibler gave Arkansas length, but the line still tilted sharply against him. The left-hander made his fourth start of the season, struck out a career-high nine batters in 5.1 innings, and took his second loss after allowing seven runs, including a grand slam in the first inning.
The strikeout total offered the clearest positive for Arkansas pitching. The staff finished with 14 strikeouts and one walk, but the early damage left no room for a clean recovery.
Arkansas Finds Power Late
Arkansas did get offense after the opening frame. Maika Niu hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning for his sixth of the season, Kuhio Aloy added a solo shot in the seventh for his seventh of the year, and Camden Kozeal followed with a solo home run in the eighth for his 14th of the campaign.
Damian Ruiz went 2-for-4 with a double, and Aloy also finished with multiple hits while raising his season line to.309/.370/.490. The relief work behind Gibler came from Tate McGuire, who covered 2.2 innings and allowed two runs while striking out three, and Jackson Kircher, who worked one inning, allowed two runs, and struck out two.
The series finale was set for 2 p.m. Sunday, May 3, on SEC Network, with Arkansas and Ole Miss returning to the field after the Rebels erased the edge the Razorbacks had built in the matchup over the previous five weekend series.
