Razorbacks split doubleheader to open series with Ole Miss on road

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — As often happens in the SEC, the Arkansas-Ole Miss series will come down to the third game.

With bad weather on Thursday forcing a doubleheader on Thursday, the Razorbacks missed a chance in the second game of the twin bill.

Will McEntire should be available Saturday to get another day of improving after a bout with the flu last week. Normally, he would have started the second game of the doubleheader.

Hunter Hollan started the first game and lasted six innings, giving up just three hits and no runs. He was relieved in the seventh by Dylan Carter, who gave up two runs on two hits, but kept things from getting out of hand.

Austin Ledbetter finished up and gave up a hit, but finished out an 11-2 win.

The two teams will play the final in the series Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. on the SEC Network. You can also listen to Phil Elson on the radio call on ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.

Game 2

Somewhere between the first and second games, the Hogs lost their bats and the second game, 7-4.

After scoring 11 runs in the first game, the Razorbacks could only get three runs and two of them came on an RBI single by Brady Slavens for his fifth RBI in the doubleheader.

The Hogs added another run to tie the game 2-2 in the fifth inning with a double by Kendall Diggs that scored Jared Wegner, who had a walk earlier in the inning.

In this one, Ole Miss had the big inning.

The Rebels scored five runs in the sixth to open a 7-2 lead that stood up until the Hogs got a pair of runs in the ninth inning for the final margin.

Slavens hit a two-run homer in the ninth to total seven RBI in the opening day of the series.

Game 1

The Hogs got the big inning again … and early in an 11-2 blowout that really wasn’t as close as the final score sounds.

For the Rebels it was that bad.

As they have done at times, the Razorbacks jumped on Ole Miss starter XXX Dougherty early and by the time he left in the fifth inning, the game was out of hand.

Caleb Cali blasted a two-run homer in the second inning and the Hogs put together a huge fifth inning on a grand slam by Brady Slavens that chased Dougherty after Jace Bohrofen delivered a single run.

That homer made it 8-0 as Hogs’ starter Hunter Hollan worked six solid innings without giving up a run, allowing just three hits, striking out four and walking three.

With the offense that was good enough.

The Rebels pushed two runs across in the eighth inning before the Hogs added an insurance run on a triple from Kendall Diggs that scored a run and a double by Slavens brought him home.

Slavens was 3-for-4 at the plate with five RBI. Tavian Josenberger and Diggs were 2-for-4.