Razorbacks Drop Series Opener to Rebels, 5-3

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.- Arkansas had its chances against 18th-ranked Ole Miss Friday night, but the Razorbacks weren't able to come through with the big hit as the Rebels held on for a 5-3 win.
A regular-season school record crowd of 9,227 at Baum Stadium saw the Hogs strand 11 base runners, including the tying and winning runs in the sixth and ninth innings.
"We got the bat knocked out of our hand all night," Arkansas Head Coach Dave Van Horn said. "That was embarrassing. We had a chance to tie the game with a runner on third and the lead run on first (in the sixth inning). We have to figure it out and put the bat on the ball."
Ole Miss starting pitcher Mark Holliman (6-3) pitched five innings, allowing 3 runs-one earned-on two hits, struck out eight, walked six and hit three batters. Stephen Head worked four scoreless innings to pick up his fifth save.
The loss drops Arkansas to 37-16 overall and 13-15 in the Southeastern Conference. Ole Miss improves to 38-15 and 16-12 in the SEC. The Razorbacks are tied for seventh place heading into Saturday's 3:06 p.m. game with the Rebels that will be televised on Fox Sports Net.
The Razorbacks scored two runs in the fifth without getting a hit. The Hogs loaded the bases on a walk, a hit batter and an Ole Miss error. Danny Hamblin's walk scored the Hogs' first run, and Clint Arnold lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to plate John Henry Marquardt to make the score 4-2.
The RBI by Hamblin was his 43rd of the season, setting a new career high.
The Hogs were hitless until the bottom of the sixth when seniors Scott Hode and Clay Goodwin ripped back-to-back doubles to lead off the inning. Hode came around to score on Goodwin's two-bagger. After a Brock Bond walk and an Ole Miss passed ball, Rebel reliever Head retired three straight Hogs to keep the score 4-3.
Ole Miss answered with a run in the top of the seventh when Razorback center fielder Craig Gentry made a diving catch on a Justin Henry fly ball, which scored Rebel pinch runner Alex Pressley, making the score 5-3.
Ole Miss scored three runs on four hits off Razorback starter Nick Schmidt in the top of the second inning, highlighted by Miles Franklin's two run triple off the wall in right-center. Franklin then scored on Cooper Osteen's infield single to give the Rebels a 3-0 lead.
Arkansas threatened in the second and third innings despite not getting a hit in either inning, putting two runners on with less than two outs in each inning, but Rebel starter Mark Holliman worked out of each jam.
The Rebels added another run off Schmidt in the fourth on a RBI single by Chris Coghlan.
Schmidt (7-2) lasted only four innings, allowing four runs-all earned-on 10 hits while striking out five. The 10 hits allowed by Schmidt is a career-high for the freshman, and the four runs given up ties the most he has allowed in his career.
Sophomore James Gilbert, making his first appearance since April 23, was solid in relief for Arkansas, pitching two scoreless innings while allowing only two hits and striking out one.
Junior Charley Boyce made his 24th appearance of the season and worked three innings, giving up one run on three hits.
Hamblin, Arnold, Hode, Goodwin and Bond each had a hit for the Hogs, with Hamblin, Arnold and Goodwin driving in a run apiece.
Ole Miss' 15-hit attack was led by Head's three hits, including two doubles. Franklin, Osteen, Coghlan and Brian Gunther had two hits each. Osteen and Franklin each drove in a pair of runs.
 Arkansas Razorbacks #17 Ole Miss at #18 Arkansas Razorbacks May 20, 2005 at Fayetteville, AR (Baum Stadium) Ole Miss 5 (38-16,16-12) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Cooper Osteen 2b......... 5 0 2 2 0 1 1 1 0 Chris Coghlan 3b......... 5 0 2 1 0 0 1 1 3 Brian Pettway rf......... 5 0 1 0 0 1 4 0 2 Stephen Head 1b/p........ 5 1 3 0 0 0 3 1 0 Mark Wright lf........... 4 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 2 Alex Presley pr/lf...... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jon-Jon Hancock dh....... 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 Justin Henry 1b......... 0 0 0 1 0 0 5 1 0 Zack Cozart ss........... 4 1 1 0 0 1 1 3 2 Barry Gunther c.......... 4 1 2 0 0 1 11 0 0 Miles Franklin cf........ 4 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 Mark Holliman p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 40 5 15 6 0 7 27 7 9 Arkansas Razorbacks 3 (37-16,13-15) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Craig Gentry cf.......... 4 0 0 0 0 2 6 0 0 Jake Dugger rf........... 4 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 Danny Hamblin 1b......... 3 0 1 1 2 1 6 0 0 Clint Arnold lf.......... 3 0 1 1 1 1 2 0 2 Stephen Robison pr...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brian Walker c........... 4 0 0 0 1 2 7 0 4 Scott Hode ss............ 4 1 1 0 0 1 3 0 0 Clay Goodwin 3b.......... 4 0 1 1 0 0 2 2 0 Brock Bond dh............ 2 1 1 0 2 1 0 0 2 John Henry Marquardt 2b.. 3 1 0 0 0 2 0 3 1 Nick Schmidt p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 James Gilbert p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Charley Boyce p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 31 3 5 3 7 11 27 6 11 Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------- Ole Miss............ 030 100 100 - 5 15 1 Arkansas Razorbacks. 000 021 000 - 3 5 1 ------------------------------------------- E - Zack Cozart(7); Hamblin(3). DP - UM 1. LOB - UM 9; ARKANSAS 11. 2B - Stephen Head 2(12); Mark Wright(11); M. Franklin(5); Hode(15); Goodwin(16). 3B - M. Franklin(2). HBP - Gentry; Marquardt. SF - J. Henry(2); Arnold(6). SB - C. Coghlan(6); Dugger(12). Ole Miss IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Mark Holliman....... 5.0 2 3 1 6 8 17 26 102 Stephen Head........ 4.0 3 0 0 1 3 14 15 55 Arkansas Razorbacks IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Nick Schmidt........ 4.0 10 4 4 0 5 21 21 67 James Gilbert....... 2.0 2 0 0 0 1 8 8 45 Charley Boyce....... 3.0 3 1 1 0 1 11 12 32 Win - M. Holliman (6-3). Loss - Schmidt (7-2). Save - Stephen Head (5). WP - M. Holliman(8). HBP - by M. Holliman (Gentry); by M. Holliman (Marquardt). Inherited runners/scored: Stephen Head 2/0. Pitches/strikes: M. Holliman 102/61; Stephen Head 55/36; Schmidt 67/45; Gilbert 45/26; Boyce 32/23. Umpires - HP: Dennis McComb 1B: Danny Everett 3B: Scott Cline Start: 7:06 Time: 2:56 Attendance: 9511 Game notes: Actual Attendance: 9227 M. Holliman faced 3 batters in the 6th.