By Matt Jones
Special to the Arkansas News Bureau
OXFORD, Miss. – After roughing up all-everything pitcher Drew Pomeranz on Friday night Arkansas couldn’t solve Ole Miss senior Aaron Barrett on Saturday.
Barrett pitched eight innings, allowing one run on six hits to lead the No. 11 Rebels to a 3-2 win over the No. 14 Razorbacks at Oxford-University Stadium. The outcome tied the series at a game apiece and once again ties the two teams atop the SEC West standings.
For the third straight weekend Arkansas (36-11, 15-8 SEC) lost the Saturday game after winning the series opener.
The Razorbacks had a chance to cut into the Ole Miss lead and possibly even chase Barrett in the seventh inning. Trailing 3-1 the Hogs had runners on first and third base when Tim Carver hit a grounder back to Barrett. Travis Sample was caught in a rundown between third and home plate and the Rebels caught James McCann trying to advance to third to complete a double play and end the inning.
“We had our chances with a runner at first and third and we don’t have a good at-bat there,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “We hit the ball back to the mound and that hurt right there. We had a chance to cut that lead and we have to get one in there anyway.
“They key there was you have to stay in the rundown as long as you can to get both runners in scoring position but probably in that situation McCann shouldn’t have tried to run because he’s not a fast runner.”
Tom Hauskey’s pinch-hit solo home run off Ole Miss reliever Brett Huber with two outs in the ninth inning pulled the Razorbacks within 3-2 but Sample grounded out one batter later to end the game.
Huber earned the save for Barrett, whose only run allowed was a Zack Cox solo home run in the fourth inning. The right-hander struck out six batters.
“He was just tremendous tonight and it might be the best game he’s thrown all year,” Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco said. “He was consistent for eight innings and for the most part he was ahead in the count all night. He had some first and second pitch outs which was unusual for him because his stuff is so good.”
It was a different story for Razorback starter DJ Baxendale. Making his first career road start Baxendale gave up three earned runs on four hits in 1 2/3 innings to earn his first loss.
Matt Smith’s two-run home run in the first inning and RBI single in the second gave the Rebels (34-14, 15-8) a 3-0 lead that was never in serious danger.
Arkansas was able to hang around thanks to an impressive performance by reliever TJ Forrest, who pitched a season-high 4 1/3 innings out of the bullpen, allowing no runs on three hits while striking out five batters. Geoffrey Davenport pitched two more scoreless innings of relief, stranding an Ole Miss runner at third base in each the seventh and eighth innings.
“I thought our bullpen did a tremendous job,” Van Horn said. “Forrest hung in there and threw about as many pitches as he could, and he had a little bit of a sore shoulder this last week. And then Davenport came in there throwing 88 to 91 miles an hour and acted like he really wanted to be out there.
“When we get guys on we just need to drive them in. Give Ole Miss a lot of credit. They played outstanding and pitched well, and scored just enough to beat us.”
The rubber match of the series will start Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Arkansas is expected to throw freshman left-hander Randall Fant (3-1, 3.38 ERA) while Ole Miss will start sophomore right-hander David Goforth (1-2, 8.15).
