Hogs Can't Get Key Hits Again, Fall to Ole Miss

Razorbacks waste "quality start" by Connor Noland over eight innings to open series with 4-2 loss

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — No. 5 Arkansas never got things straight.

The Razorbacks stumbled around all night and wasted what Dave Van Horn later called a "quality start" by Connor Noland in a 4-2 loss to Ole Miss on Friday night at Baum-Walker Stadium.

It may have been a quality start because he went eight innings, but Noland never really looked quite as good as he has this season.

He gave up 11 hits and four walks in addition to four earned runs.

Michael Morrison / allHOGS Images

"The four runs were kinda surprising," Noland said later.

It would have helped if he'd got some hitting support.

Rebels' starting pitcher Dylan DeLucia scattered eight hits, but managed to strike out nine while walking just two batters. He looked hittable all night.

"After the first inning I thought we were going to be able to hit this guy," Van Horns said later. "Little things change it. I tell the guys all time things can change on one pitch, one play. That we'll never know."

The Razorbacks (32-10, 12-7 SEC) had three long balls that stayed in the stadium with a strong wind coming out of the south that limited them to the warning track.

After exchanging zeroes over the first three innings, Ole Miss (24-17, and 7-12 SEC) opened the scoring with a run in the top of the fourth and three more in the top of the fifth.

All three of the Rebels’ runs in the fifth came with two outs as Arkansas could not find a way to escape the inning unharmed.

Ole Miss’ four-run lead held strong until the eighth.

Michael Morrison / allHOGS Images

Braydon Webb’s two-run homer with no outs ended DeLucia’s night, but only after he had struck out nine over seven innings of two-run ball.

Arkansas could not capitalize on its newfound momentum as the next three hitters went down in order against Ole Miss reliever Brandon Johnson to end the inning.

Razorbacks left-hander Evan Taylor emerged in relief of Noland and worked a 1-2-3 top of the ninth with two strikeouts to keep the Hogs within two headed into the bottom half of the inning.

Johnson remained unhittable, however, setting down the final three Arkansas batters. He retired all six he faced in relief of DeLucia to secure his fifth save of the season and preserve the Rebels’ 4-2 win.

This weekend’s series continues tomorrow night in prime time on ESPN2 and Fubo.tv.

Tom Hart (play-by-play) and Kyle Peterson (analyst) have the call from Baum-Walker Stadium, with first pitch coming at 7 p.m.

All the games can also be heard with with Phil Elson (play-by-play) and Bubba Carpenter (analyst) on the call online at HitThatLine.com or on ESPN Arkansas radio 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.

Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.

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