FAYETTEVILLE -- Thanks to some heads-up base running by Bobby Wernes and a stellar performance from four Arkansas pitchers, the Razorbacks stole a 5-2 victory from Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon to win its first SEC series of the season.
Wernes took advantage of some confusion by Ole Miss' players and stole home in the fifth inning as the Razorbacks scored three runs to take a 3-2 lead they never relinquished before a lively crowd of 6,036 at Baum Stadium.
"I looked up and said, 'What happened?' " Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. "That was unbelievable. How do you even score on that play?"
It all started when Chad Spanberger pinch hit with the bases loaded and two outs and singled to drive in Rick Nomura. Then Wernes, who had advanced to third on the play, hustled in to steal home when Ole Miss catcher Austin Knight went out to talk to Rebels pitcher Jacob Waguespack without calling a timeout and the ball still live.
Wernes' play tied the game at 2-2, and Joe Serrano followed with an RBI single to give the Razorbacks a 3-2 lead.
"I have faked that play a lot of times but never really taken off," Wernes said. "I noticed their catcher went to talk to the pitcher and they weren't really paying attention, so I turned to [third base coach Tony] Vitello and said, 'Did they call time?' He said, 'No', so I just took off.
"I slid home and it was great. Everybody was going crazy."
Arkansas (14-13, 3-6 SEC) added a run in the fourth inning to make it 4-2, and Tyler Spoon hit a home run in the eighth inning for some added insurance to set the final.
Van Horn said more than just tying the game, Wernes' hustle play lit a fire under the Razorbacks.
"That is bigger than a three-run home run," Van Horn said. "With a three-run homer you know what hit you, but [Ole Miss] didn't know what hit them."
Starting pitcher Keaton McKinney and relievers Jackson Lowery and Zach Jackson also turned in strong outings for the Razorbacks. The three combined for 8 1/3 innings, giving up 7 hits and 1 earned run.
Lowery (2-0) allowed 1 run on 5 hits and struck out 5 without a giving up a walk over 3 innings to earn the victory. Jackson picked up his second save of the season.
"Last night we couldn't even name a starter," Van Horn said. "We kind of scripted it together where Keaton and Jackson would both pitch two innings, but they were both pitching great and each of them stretched it out to three.
"We wanted Jackson for the final two innings at most, but we had to get him out there in a jam in the seventh and he was great."
After a stretch during which Arkansas lost 10 of 12 games, the Razorbacks finished up a trying week of five games in five days in three different cities with a 3-2 record. Both losses were by one run.
"We are playing much better," Van Horn said. "We've been in every game, and our pitching is starting to come around. We didn't want to put pressure on the guys, but behind closed doors in that coaches office we're talking about how we needed a win in the worst way.
"This is a big confidence booster."
Ole Miss (14-14, 4-5) scored first with an unearned run in the top of the second. McKinney tried to pick off Kyle Watson who moved to second on a bad throw to first, and Watson came in to score on a weakly hit single up the middle from Knight for a 1-0 lead.
Ole Miss scored another run in the top of the fifth to go up 2-0, but Arkansas put up three in the bottom half to take a 3-2 lead.
Sports on 03/29/2015