Despite a hard-fought comeback in the ninth inning, the Arkansas State baseball team lost in the tenth inning to the Ole Miss Rebels on a walk-off home run.

A-State traveled to Oxford, Mississippi to take on the struggling Rebels. After winning the College World Series as a dark horse contender in 2022, Ole Miss has failed to put together a winning season since. Last year, the Rebels finished near the bottom of the Southeastern Conference, and are predicted to do so again this season. Ole Miss is currently 2-1.

The Red Wolves story leading up to this game has not been much different, just without a title. For the last 3 seasons, the Red Wolves have failed to qualify for their conference tournament, and this resulted in the firing of former head coach Tommy Raffo. This game marked the first road game of the Mike Silva era. Over the past weekend, the Red Wolves struggled in a frigid home series against the Morehead State Eagles, ultimately losing the series 2 games to 1. The 1-2 Red Wolves did hold the win streak against the Rebels, having beat Ole Miss in an early season upset in 2024.

The streak did not continue. Ole Miss managed to piece together a win in the 10th inning, although hitting struggled in this game. The first hit of the game came in the top of the third inning off a single from second baseman Raul Torres.

The Rebels struck first on the scoreboard, after Ole Miss left fielder Judd Utermark managed to steal home in the bottom of the fourth. The score held at 1-0 Rebels until Ole Miss catcher Campbell Smithwick hit into a sacrifice double play and Rebels shortstop Owen Paino scored the second run.

The score held at 2-0 Rebels until the top of the ninth inning, when right fielder Wil French and infielder Cason Campbell reached base on a fielder’s error and hit-by-pitch, respectively. Left fielder Drake Anderson was walked. Then catcher Kaden Amundson hit into a fielder’s choice. Campbell was thrown out, but French scored A-State’s first run of the game. 

With the score 2-1, in the top of the ninth with one out, third baseman Daedrick Cail hit a sacrifice fly to bring Anderson across home plate with the tying run. Ole Miss failed to score in the bottom of the ninth, and the game went to extra innings.

The comeback was not to be, however. In the bottom of the tenth, Judd Utermark connected on a walk-off two-run moonshot past center field to secure a Rebels victory.

In pitching, Red Wolves starting pitcher Jelle van der Lelle pitched only 3 innings, striking out 2 and allowing only a single earned run, but also walking 4 batters. Reliever Carson Keithley came in and pitched a solid inning, walking a batter but not allowing any runs or hits. Reliever Chase Richter pitched 2.2 innings and struck out 3 batters, allowing 1 hit and 1 walk. Reliever Collin Maloney got 2 strikeouts but allowed a run. Reliever Andrew Allen was credited with his first loss of the season after giving up the walk-off home run in the tenth.

With the loss, the Red Wolves fall to 1-3 on the season, and will look to bounce back in a series against the Eastern Illinois Panthers.

Categories: Sports