Souza's Monster Game Fuels Hogs' Series Sweep over Rebels

Oliver Grigg April 6, 2024

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Nolan Souza swatted a pair of homers and drove in a team-leading five RBI to fuel No. 1 Arkansas’ (27-3, 11-1 SEC) series-sweeping 7-4 win over Ole Miss (18-15, 3-9 SEC) Saturday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium.

The Razorbacks improved to 11-1 in SEC play with Saturday’s win, marking their best 12-game start in league play since joining the SEC in 1992. Arkansas’ 27 overall wins, meanwhile, represent its most through 30 games in program history.

With the series-sweeping win, Arkansas also improved to 23-1 overall inside the friendly confines of Baum-Walker Stadium this season, extending its Baum-Walker Stadium winning streak to a program-record 21 games. The Hogs’ record for consecutive home wins is 27 at George Cole Field, their ballpark from 1975-95, during the 1984-85 seasons.

Souza’s second multi-homer game of the season powered Arkansas to its first weekend series sweep of Ole Miss since 2002 and its first of the Rebels in Fayetteville since 1997. The true freshman’s solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning opened the scoring before his three-run blast in the bottom of the seventh proved to be the game-winner.

For the season, Souza is now slashing a team-leading .357/.471/.732 across 20 games. The Honolulu, Hawai’i, native is tied for second on the Razorbacks in home runs with six and has driven in 18 RBI on the year.

Offensively, Wehiwa Aloy (2-for-4) and Kendall Diggs (3-for-5) also chipped in with multi-hit games of their own. Jared Sprague-Lott, meanwhile, drew a season-high three walks in Saturday’s series-sweeping 7-4 victory over the Rebels.

Junior right-hander Brady Tygart started on the mound and turned in 4.1 innings of two-run ball with seven strikeouts. Jake Faherty (0.2 IP, 1 SO), Parker Coil (0.2 IP, 1 ER, 2 SO), Gabe Gaeckle (2.2 IP, 1 ER, 4 SO) and Will McEntire (0.2 IP, 1 SO) worked in relief of Tygart and combined for 4.2 innings of two-run ball with eight strikeouts in the winning effort.

Gaeckle earned his first collegiate win to move his season record to 1-2, while McEntire logged his fourth save. For the season, McEntire boasts a team-leading 1.75 ERA to go along with 45 strikeouts in his 36.0 relief innings of work.

Arkansas finishes its 10-game homestand next week with a two-game midweek series against San Jose State. First pitch in the series opener between the Razorbacks and Spartans is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 9, on SEC Network+.

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