By Matt Jones
Special to the Arkansas News Bureau
OXFORD, Miss. — Arkansas scored 10 runs in the final three innings to supplement six strong innings from pitcher Drew Smyly as the Razorbacks beat Ole Miss 11-4 Friday night at Oxford-University Stadium.
Brett Eibner’s three-run home run with two outs in the top of the seventh inning started the late onslaught to give No. 14 Arkansas its fifth consecutive Friday night win. The hit came off Ole Miss starter Drew Pomeranz after the Rebels decided to intentionally walk Zack Cox one batter earlier.
“The biggest hit of the night for us was when Eibner hit the change-up with two outs to give us a two-run lead,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “He’s just been good all year. He seems to be getting better and better, and more confident. I’ve had him at fifth, sixth this year but for the last month, I’ve had him the four-hole and there’s a reason for that because he’s been driving in runs.
“I thought our pitchers did a great job. Smyly didn’t have his best stuff and yet still had good stuff.”
Smyly won his sixth straight start by allowing just two runs on five hits and striking out six batters.
“I had to battle because the same as us they were ready to go,” Smyly said. “They were kind of hitting me, but they were hitting it right at people.”
Arkansas (36-10, 15-7 SEC) continued to add run support for its starter as Tim Carver hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning and Travis Sample added a pinch-hit grand slam in the ninth as the Razorbacks rebounded from a disappointing 13-2 loss to Auburn last Sunday.
“It was a great thing, especially to feed off of for the rest of the weekend,” Sample said. “Early in the season, it seemed like everything was falling and hits were so easy to come by and then the past few weeks, we’ve hit the ball decent but right at people.
“We haven’t been able to get that big hit and tonight it all worked out.”
Arkansas recorded 16 hits on the night, including nine off Pomeranz. The Ole Miss left-hander picked up his first loss of the season after giving up four runs in 6 2/3 innings.
In three career starts against Arkansas, Pomeranz is 1-2 and has given up 17 runs and 28 hits.
“We were frustrated because we kept flying out and missing pitches,” Van Horn said. “We felt that we were right there, but he’s a good pitcher. I don’t think he had his best stuff … but he gave them what he got.”
Arkansas regained sole possession of first place in the SEC West from the Rebels (33-14, 14-8).
Arkansas took a 1-0 lead on a James McCann RBI single, but Ole Miss responded with a Taylor Hashman solo home run in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at a run apiece.
The Rebels took the lead in the fourth on an Alex Yarbrough RBI double, but were unable to add any more runs until the eighth inning on Matt Smith’s two-run home run.
The two teams will meet again tonight for the second of the three-game series. Freshman DJ Baxendale (0-0, 3.79 ERA) will make the start for the Razorbacks while Ole Miss will send out Aaron Barrett (6-2, 3.72).
