Ole Miss eliminates Arkansas at SEC Tournament

Mississippi's Anthony Servideo (3) is tagged out by Arkansas shortstop Casey Martin (15) as he was caught in a run down for the second out of a double play during the third inning of an NCAA college baseball game at the Southeastern Conference Tournament, Friday, May 24, 2019, in Hoover, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Mississippi's Anthony Servideo (3) is tagged out by Arkansas shortstop Casey Martin (15) as he was caught in a run down for the second out of a double play during the third inning of an NCAA college baseball game at the Southeastern Conference Tournament, Friday, May 24, 2019, in Hoover, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

For the second consecutive game, Arkansas gave up two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and dropped a low-scoring game at the SEC Tournament.

Ole Miss' Thomas Dillard had a one-out RBI single and Grae Kessinger followed with a sacrifice fly to give the No. 23 Rebels their first lead, and they held on for a 3-2 victory over the No. 5 Razorbacks at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.

Arkansas (41-17) was eliminated from the tournament. The Razorbacks, who are projected to be a top-eight national seed, will learn their NCAA postseason draw Monday morning during the tournament's selection show.

Ole Miss (36-24) advanced to play Georgia in a single-elimination semifinal game Saturday.

Both of Ole Miss' eighth-inning runs came against Arkansas reliever Zebulon Vermillion, who issued a leadoff walk and hit a batter with one out. Dillard's hit came on the first pitch from Razorbacks closer Matt Cronin, who struck out Dillard and three other Ole Miss batters in a four-out save Wednesday.

Like most games at this year's SEC Tournament, runs were at a premium Friday. Matt Goodheart hit a two-run home run for Arkansas in the top of the fourth inning, and Kevin Graham hit a two-out solo home run to pull the Rebels within 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth.

Graham's home run came against Arkansas starter Connor Noland, who took his 10th no-decision of the season in a five-inning start. Noland allowed two hits and walked one.

Ole Miss starter Gunnar Hoglund threw 6 1/3 innings. He allowed three hits and struck out six.

Arkansas squandered a couple of good run-scoring opportunities in the middle innings. Dominic Fletcher and Heston Kjerstad had back-to-back one-out singles following Goodheart's homer in the fourth, and the Razorbacks loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth despite not recording a hit in the inning.

Nine Arkansas base runners were stranded, including Trevor Ezell in the ninth inning after he drew a two-out walk against Ole Miss closer Parker Caracci. Casey Martin grounded out to third base to end the game.

Arkansas started three backups in catcher Zack Plunkett, first baseman Jordan McFarland and left fielder Curtis Washington, and played two everyday players - Ezell at second and Jack Kenley at third - in new positions.

Batting in the lower third of the lineup, McFarland, Plunkett and Washington were a combined 0-for-11. Plunkett reached base on an error.

Arkansas had five base hits, including two by Goodheart. The Razorbacks missed on multiple home runs with three fly outs to the warning track.

The Razorbacks finished 1-2 at the tournament and failed to make the weekend for the first time in the past three seasons. Arkansas was a semifinalist last season and runner-up in 2017.

Ole Miss, which won last season's SEC Tournament, improved to 3-2 in this year's games against the Razorbacks.

Ole Miss 3, Arkansas 2 - End 8th Inning

Grae Kessinger's sacrifice fly to center field has given Ole Miss the lead. Arkansas center fielder Dominic Fletcher timed the ball well and set his feet, but his throw to home plate wasn't real good and brought catcher Zack Plunkett down the third base line a little bit.

The Razorbacks will send Plunkett, Curtis Washington and Trevor Ezell to the plate in the top of the ninth inning. It would not be surprising to see the Razorbacks to pinch hit for one, if not two batters in the inning.

Arkansas 2, Ole Miss 2 - Bottom 8th Inning

Thomas Dillard's RBI single on the first pitch from Matt Cronin has tied the game. The Rebels have runners on the corners with one out.

Arkansas 2, Ole Miss 1 - Bottom 8th Inning

Arkansas is in some trouble in the bottom of the eighth inning. Zebulon Vermillion walked the leadoff batter, then hit a batter with one out following a sacrifice bunt.

Matt Cronin, who struck out all four Ole Miss batters he faced two days ago, is coming into the game looking for a five-out save. He will face the top of the Ole Miss lineup, beginning with Thomas Dillard.

Arkansas 2, Ole Miss 1 - Middle 8th Inning

Matt Goodheart led off the eighth with a single and Heston Kjerstad was intentionally walked with one out. The hit was Goodheart's second today and the third time he reached base.

They were stranded after a Jack Kenley fly out to center field and a great play by Ole Miss first baseman Cole Zabowski, who reached into the seats to catch a popup in foul ground by pinch hitter Jacob Nesbit.

Dominic Fletcher nearly beat out an infield single in the inning. In fact, it looked on replay as if Ole Miss pitcher Austin Miller might not have touched the bag at first base, but there was no review. Coaches cannot challenge in the final two innings, when reviews must be initiated by the umpires.

Arkansas has stranded eight base runners in this game.

Arkansas 2, Ole Miss 1 - End 7th Inning

Kole Ramage came out of the bullpen and retired Ole Miss' 4, 5 and 6 hitters in the seventh inning.

Arkansas got a two-out base runner in the top of the inning when Trevor Ezell singled and stole second base. He was stranded there when Casey Martin chased an Austin Miller slider out of the zone for the Razorbacks' seventh strikeout of the day.

Arkansas 2, Ole Miss 1 - End 6th Inning

Cody Scroggins stranded a pair of Ole Miss base runners in the sixth. It appeared the inning was over when Scroggins got Grae Kessinger to hit into a 3-6-1 double play, but replay overturned the out call at first and left the Rebels with runners on the corners and two outs.

Tyler Keenan flied out to left field in the next at-bat to end the inning.

Scroggins replaced Kevin Kopps, who replaced starter Connor Noland to begin the inning. Kopps, though, had trouble throwing strikes. He issued a four-pitch walk to the first batter he faced, and after a groundout, he walked another batter in five pitches.

Those base runners were the first the Rebels have stranded today. Ole Miss only has two hits.

Arkansas 2, Ole Miss 1 - End 5th Inning

Kevin Graham hit a two-out home run off Connor Noland to give Ole Miss its first run of the game. Graham drove the ball off the scoreboard in right-center field.

That was just the second hit Noland has allowed today.

Arkansas 2, Ole Miss 0 - Middle 5th Inning

Arkansas loaded the bases without recording a hit in the fifth inning. Dominic Fletcher flied out to left field to strand all three and keep the Razorbacks' lead at two.

Zack Plunkett reached on a fielding error by Ole Miss shortstop Grae Kessinger to lead off the inning, Casey Martin was hit by a pitch with two outs and Matt Goodheart followed with a walk.

Ole Miss starter Gunnar Hoglund has danced out of fire a couple of times the past two innings and stranded five base runners. But his pitch count is getting higher, now at 73.

Arkansas 2, Ole Miss 0 - End 4th Inning

Connor Noland continues to pitch well for Arkansas. He sat down Ole miss in order in the fourth. He has only allowed two base runners today on one hit and one walk.

Arkansas 2, Ole Miss 0 - Middle 4th Inning

Heston Kjerstad had a one-out single to put runners on first and second, but they were stranded when Jack Kenley lined out and Jordan McFarland flied out to right field.

The Razorbacks put a lot of good swings on Gunnar Hoglund in that inning. Even the outs were good, loud at-bats.

Arkansas 2, Ole Miss 0 - Top 4th Inning

Matt Goodheart just missed on a home run to opposite field in the first inning. He didn't miss the next time up.

Goodheart drove a ball to right-center field and it carried in the wind to give the Razorbacks the lead. That was Goodheart's third home run this season and Arkansas' first at this tournament.

Goodheart's one-out homer also scored Trevor Ezell, who drew a leadoff walk. Casey Martin made good contact, too, but Ole Miss left fielder Thomas Dillard made a good sliding catch for the first out.

Dominic Fletcher followed Goodheart's homer with a single to right field. The Razorbacks appear to be figuring things out the second time through the order against Ole Miss' Gunnar Hoglund.

Arkansas 0, Ole Miss 0 - End 3rd Inning

Arkansas has made some really nice defensive plays early in this game. Jacob Adams lined out to Casey Martin on a hit-and-run to end the third inning, and Martin easily tagged out Anthony Servideo to complete the double play. Servideo reached on a one-out walk by Connor Noland.

Noland has bounced back well from that long first inning. His pitch count is 40 through three.

Arkansas 0, Ole Miss 0 - Middle 3rd Inning

Arkansas flied out three times in the third inning. The Razorbacks have put some good swings on balls, but the big park is eating them up. Matt Goodheart's fly ball to end the first probably would have been a home run at most ballparks in which the Razorbacks have played this season. That has been the case on a few fly balls the past couple of days.

Arkansas 0, Ole Miss 0 - End 2nd Inning

Jack Kenley and Jordan McFarland both made good defensive plays in the bottom of the second inning. Kenley charged and barehanded a slow roller by Ryan Olenek, and threw him out. McFarland made a good backhanded stop on a ground ball between first and second, and flipped to Connor Noland covering the bag for the final out of the inning.

Both of those plays were notable because neither player is the everday starter at the positions they are playing today.

Arkansas went down in order against Gunnar Hoglund in the top of the inning. Hoglund hasn't allowed a base runner yet.

Arkansas 0, Ole Miss 0 - End 1st Inning

Arkansas catcher Zack Plunkett threw out Ole Miss' Grae Kessinger on a steal attempt to end the first inning. Kessinger reached with a one-out single.

Connor Noland fought through an eight-pitch at-bat to strike out Thomas Dillard to lead off the bottom of the inning. That drove his pitch count up a little and he's at 19 through an inning.

Arkansas didn't have a base runner in the top of the inning. Trevor Ezell struck out, Casey Martin grounded out and Matt Goodheart flied out.

Pregame

It is an elimination day at the SEC Tournament. Arkansas and Ole Miss lead things off. The winner will play Georgia tomorrow at noon in the tournament semifinals, and the loser will go home and get ready for next week's NCAA regional.

Arkansas is treating this game kind of the same way it treated a lot of midweek games over the back half of the regular season. The Razorbacks' lineup includes Zack Plunkett at catcher, Curtis Washington in left field, Jordan McFarland at first, Trevor Ezell at second and Jack Kenley at third.

Dave Van Horn wants to get some players playing time in case they are needed for the NCAA Tournament. Plunkett behind the plate is meant to give some rest to Casey Opitz in the Alabama heat and humidity.

Christian Franklin tweaked his knee during yesterday's game, but Van Horn said Washington was probably going to start in left field regardless.

Arkansas is throwing Connor Noland today, hoping to get about five or six innings out of him. Ole Miss, which is playing for the fourth time in four days, is throwing right hander Gunnar Hoglund, who was ineffective against the Razorbacks earlier this season.

The temperature could reach 95 degrees during the game. Arkansas' first pitch against Georgia yesterday had a 94-degree first pitch, which was a record at the SEC Tournament.

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