By Nate Allen
Special to the News-Times
FAYETTEVILLE - Down only 5-3, the Ole Miss Rebels couldn’t fathom they lost the game to Arkansas by loading the bases on Razorbacks reliever Zach Jackson with two walks and a bunt single to start the seventh inning.
The Rebels salivated with Nos. 3 through 5 hitters J.B. Woodman, Sikes Orvis and Tate Blackman at the bat.
But like Mudville’s Mighty Casey, all struck out. Jackson caught Woodman and Blackman looking and Blackman swinging, and the Rebels dissolved into a 10-3 defeat Thursday night starting a 3-game SEC West series at Baum Stadium continuing at 6 p.m. tonight and 2 p.m. Saturday.
Despite issuing a combined eight walks, winning starter Dominic Taccolini and Jackson extricated themselves from enough jams to enjoy the support of 15 Arkansas hits and the largesse of four Ole Miss errors to advance its overall and SEC West records to 13-12 and 2-5 while Ole Miss falls to 13-13, 3-4.
Leadoff hitter Joe Serrano, 3 for 5, Andrew Benintendi, two hits and a RBI, Cullen Gassaway single, double and sacrifice fly and two RBI, and Tyler Spoon, double, sac fly and three RBI, led Arkansas’ attack.
Sacrifice flies enabled Arkansas to take a 1-0 lead in the first and tie it 2-2 in the third off losing Ole Miss southpaw starter Christian Trent.
Bases-loading singles by Serrano, Benintendi and Gassaway preceded Spoon’s 1-out sacrifice fly to right in the first.
Bobby Wernes’ leadoff double and advance on Benintendi’s infield out preceded Gassaway’s sac fly to right in the third.
Taccolini mowed down Rebels the first two innings striking out four and facing just seven but walking in the second, a harbinger for third.
In a 36-pitch inning, Taccolini walked four and was tagged for one hit but only yielded two runs. The leadoff walk was erased trying to steal second before Errol Robinson singled home the second walk. The third who walked scored on Steve Orvis’ infield out at first.
Serrano, leadoff single, Benintendi, 1-out single scoring Serrano from second, Gassaway, doubling home Benintendi, and Spoon, doubling home Clark Eagan pinch-running for Gassaway, were the protagonists of Arkansas’ 3-run fifth off Trent.
Taccolini’s sixth walk, with two out and one on via an infield single in the sixth, prompted Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn to summon reliever Zach Jackson. Austin Knight dumped a run-scoring single into center but Jackson struck out Joe Wainhouse.
Ole Miss menaced Jackson’s 5-3 lead in the seventh. The Rebels led off with two walks and intended sacrifice bunt so well placed it became a bases-loading single. In succession came Ole Miss three through five-hole hitters that Jackson struck out.
Ole Miss deflated with three errors, two on the same play in Arkansas’ 3- run seventh. With two out and Eagan on by walk, Chad Spanberger zipped a grounder through first baseman Orvis for one error compounded by Cameron Dishon fumbling it in right. Eagan scored, and Spanberger took second. and scored on Brett McAfee’s single.
Ole Miss erred again while Arkansas added two in the eighth.