FAYETTEVILLE -- The Arkansas baseball team kept its unblemished record on weekend-opening games intact while clinching its best start in SEC play Thursday.
The No. 1 University of Arkansas mounted a come-from-behind effort from a two-run deficit to rally past Ole Miss 5-2 before a crowd of 10,231 at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Wehiwa Aloy's opposite-field three-run home run in the sixth inning was the crowning blow to overcome a 2-1 deficit, and Jared Sprague-Lott added a solo shot as Arkansas (25-3, 9-1 SEC) extended its winning streak at home to 19 games and opened 9-1 in SEC play for the first time.
The Razorbacks also stayed clean in weekend openers, improving to 8-0 behind ace left-hander Hagen Smith (6-0), who had an atypical start with a touch of control issues.
Will McEntire notched a hold with 2 2/3 innings of one-hit relief. He allowed an infield single to Ole Miss leadoff hitter Luke Hill with two outs in the ninth. Lefty specialist Stone Hewlett came on to strike out Andrew Fischer to cap the win and record his second save.
The Razorbacks used that exact combination of pitchers to beat No. 7 LSU last Thursday in a series opener.
Ole Miss right-hander Riley Maddox (2-3) cruised on a low pitch count through five innings, coaxing 12 ground ball outs out of his 15 outs, which came on 55 pitches.
But his efficient run ended in the sixth when Peyton Stovall and Ben McLaughlin worked back-to-back walks to open the inning. Aloy fell behind 0-1 and then got the fastball he was sitting on.
"I kind of swung at a ball, but after that I kind of adjusted, just staying on fastball the whole entire at-bat that third one, and just put a good swing on it," Aloy said of his team-high seventh home run.
Sprague-Lott credited hitting coach Nate Thompson with coming up with a plan against reliever Josh Mallitz one out after Aloy's home run.
"He threw that curveball, hung it a little bit, and I just tried to put a good swing on it," said Sprague-Lott after his third home run clanged off the left-field foul pole to make it 5-2.
Smith snared a line drive off the bat of Andrew Fischer in the second inning that appeared to be heading right for his face.
"I had no idea what happened," Smith said. "I just saw a ball right in front of my face and I just put my glove up. I don't know, instinct."
Smith smiled and displayed the snow-cone catch to home plate umpire Danny Cricks after making the face-saving grab.
Smith worked out of a self-inflicted issue in the second inning after walking Ethan Groff and hitting Treyson Hughes with a pitch with one out. Smith got a strikeout against Trenton Lyons on a check swing, then struck out Judd Utermark looking with the two runners on base.
Ole Miss scrapped out two runs in the third inning that marked the first runs given up by Smith this season that did not come on home runs.
Hill reached on a chopper infield single on which Sprague-Lott made a bare-hand pick but his throw pulled McLaughlin off first base. Fischer followed with a clean single to right field before Ethan Lege laid down a perfectly placed bunt toward third for a single that loaded the bases.
Jackson Ross drew a run-producing walk, then Groff followed with a deep fly to left field for a sacrifice fly and a 2-0 Rebels lead.
Smith got out of further damage by inducing a groundout to McLaughlin at first base.
"Just a little off mechanically, I felt like," Smith said. "Just kind of pulling off my front side, kind of missing everywhere with my fastball. But we came back and scored so it was awesome."
The left-hander wound up making his sixth quality start and posting his sixth double-digit strikeout game in eight appearances this season. Smith worked 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks with 11 strikeouts on a season-high 105 pitches.
"We knew runs were going to be at a premium against Hagen Smith, and then we go and leave nine runners on," Ole Miss Coach Mike Bianco said.
"I thought we did a good job. He's the best pitcher in the country for a reason. We got him out in the sixth, but you would like to have done a little more damage obviously."
Said Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn, "I thought Ole Miss hitters, they fought him and they did a good job. Hagen didn't have his best stuff but he still went six innings and only gave up two runs.
"The four walks hasn't kind of really happened this year. So that's where the stuff, the command wasn't where it's been, but he still had a quality outing, gave us a chance, and we got a couple of big hits."
Arkansas cut its 2-0 deficit in half in the fourth inning, finally breaking through against Maddox.
Aloy singled up the middle and Kendall Diggs drew a walk with one out. After both runners moved up on a wild pitch, Sprague-Lott's chopper to third base brought home the run. Maddox retired Ross Lovich on a ground ball to second base on the next pitch.
The Rebels managed no hits in the fifth through eighth innings with Smith bouncing back and McEntire firing two shutout innings.
"I just felt like when Hagen came out in the sixth and we were down a run, and he got through the sixth ... I think it really motivated our team," Van Horn said. "We came in and we got two walks and a home run and we had the lead.
"It was just big. It's like he saved our bullpen if we didn't come back and win, but he just did a tremendous job fighting."
Today's game
OLE MISS AT NO. 1 ARKANSAS
WHEN 6:30 p.m.
WHERE Baum-Walker Stadium,
Fayetteville
RECORDS Ole Miss 18-13, 3-7 SEC; Arkansas 25-3, 9-1 SEC
STARTING PITCHERS Ole Miss LHP Liam Doyle (2-1, 6.04 ERA); Arkansas LHP Mason Molina (3-0, 3.00)
TV None
RADIO Razorback Sports Network
STREAMING SEC Network-Plus