Hogs Drop SEC Opener to Rebels
OXFORD, Miss. – Despite Kuhio Aloy’s three-hit day as well as homers from Logan Maxwell and Charles Davalan, third-ranked Arkansas (16-2, 0-1 SEC) dropped its SEC opener to No. 13 Ole Miss (15-2, 1-0 SEC), 10-6, Friday at Swayze Field.
With the loss, Arkansas’ season-long 12-game winning streak was snapped. It is also the Razorbacks’ first SEC Opening Day loss since the 2021 season, when Alabama defeated Arkansas, 16-1, at Baum-Walker Stadium to open league play.
The Hogs, winners of seven straight SEC Opening Weekend series, and Rebels will play game two of the series at 6 p.m. tomorrow. Saturday’s game, originally scheduled for 1:30 p.m., was moved back due to the threat of inclement weather.
Ole Miss scored runs in each of the first six innings, tagging Arkansas starter Zach Root for seven runs on 10 hits and two walks over three innings of work. The left-hander struck out three but struggled to contain the Rebels’ hot hitting.
Ryder Helfrick (1-for-3, 2 RBI) collected his first of two RBI in the top half of the second inning, singling through the right side with one out to score Brent Iredale from third and cut the Razorbacks’ early deficit to 2-1. The Rebels, however, answered with two more runs in the bottom of the frame, extending their lead to three.
When Arkansas scored again in the top of the third on Maxwell’s RBI groundout to shrink its deficit to 4-2, Ole Miss responded with a run in the bottom half of the frame before tacking on two more in both the fourth and fifth innings.
After Rebel starting pitcher Hunter Elliott departed the ballgame, the Hogs strung together a rally in the sixth inning and came out with a pair of runs. Aloy (3-for-5, 2 R) led off the inning with a single, his second of the game and third base knock of the afternoon, before Iredale drew a walk and Rocco Peppi (2-for-4) singled to load the bases for Helfrick.
The Razorback catcher collected his second RBI of the day with a sacrifice fly to right, cutting the deficit to six. Cam Kozeal then stepped into the batter’s box as a pinch hitter for Nolan Souza and singled home a run on the very first pitch he saw from Ole Miss reliever Mason Morris to move Arkansas within five runs entering the bottom half of the sixth.
In relief of Root, Dylan Carter (1.2 IP, 2 R, 2 SO) and Tate McGuire (1.1 IP, 1 R, 1 SO) combined for three innings and allowed three runs while striking out three. The Rebels’ 10th and final run came on an RBI single in the sixth.
Maxwell’s solo home run, his third of the season, in the top of the seventh inning, and Davalan’s solo blast in the top of the ninth were, ultimately, too little, too late to power the Hogs’ comeback. Davalan finished the game with a pair of hits and a pair of runs scored, raising his season slash line to .323/.450/.538 with four homers and 18 RBI in 18 games.
Aloy, meanwhile, improved his team-leading slash line to .473/.561/.982 with seven home runs and 31 RBI in 15 games on the year. The sophomore leads the team in RBI and is tied for the lead in hits (26), doubles (7) and total bases (54).
Right-hander Ben Bybee locked down the game’s final two innings. The junior, who recorded the Razorback pitching staff’s only 1-2-3 inning of the afternoon, did not allow a hit in his outing and finished with a pair of strikeouts.
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