Ole Miss Defeats Little Rock on Kids’ Day

On a cloudless and windy day, it was an offensive display at Swayze Field as Ole Miss beat Little Rock 12-10 on Kids Day at the ballpark.

The Rebels improved to 24-21 on the season, while the Trojans fell to 25-17. 

After Little Rock got on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning with a two-run home run by Luke Pectol, Ole Miss’ Calvin Harris homered to right in the bottom of the frame to trim the lead to 2-1. 

Jacob Gonzalez singled to get Reagan Burford home in the bottom of the third after Burford reached and advanced to second on a fielding error by the Trojans. The game was tied 2-2 after three complete. But the offensive fireworks had just begun.

Little Rock had a big five-run top of the fourth, but the Rebels bounced right back with four runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame. After Kemp Alderman walked, Ethan Groff homered. After John Kramer walked, TJ McCants homered. The score was 7-6 with the visitors still leading.

In the top of the sixth, more runs were scored, this time three of them by the Trojans. Once again, Ole Miss came back with more runs in the bottom of the sixth. After Will Furniss singled, Kramer sent one out of the ballpark to right center. The score was 10-8 with Little Rock leading.

After the visitors failed to score in the top of the seventh, the Rebels got a run in the bottom of the seventh on a Furniss fly ball that scored Harris after he had reached by walk and moved to third on an Alderman single.

The score was 10-9 after seven and remained that way until Gonzalez singled to score Burford who had walked and reached second on a wild pitch. The game was tied 10-10. Ethan Lege then singled to score Gonzalez who came home on a throwing error by Little Rock. Harris got a base hit to score Lege, and the Rebels led 12-10 after eight innings.

Mason Nichols came on to close things out in the top of the ninth for Ole Miss, the last of eight pitchers on the day for the Rebels. Reliever Cole Tolbert (1-0) got the win for the Rebels, and Nichols got his fourth save of the season. Jacob Weatherley (2-4) got the loss for Little Rock.

Pectol, with four hits and five RBI, led the Trojan attack. Ole Miss had three players with two hits each – Gonzalez, Harris, and McCants. Five Rebels had two RBI each – Gonzalez, Harris, Groff, Kramer, and McCants.

Ole Miss travels to Columbia, Mo., for a three-game Southeastern Conference series against the Tigers. Both teams are tied in the SEC at 5-16.

Jeff Roberson Ole Miss Athletics