Arkansas’ heroic moment on Sunday afternoon was authored by a player who didn’t even start the game.
Freshman infielder Christian Turner didn’t enter the rubber matchup with SEC rival Ole Miss until he was called on to pinch run for Zack Stewart in the seventh inning. But Turner made up for lost time, thrilling the home fans in Fayetteville by belting a walk-off, 2-run home run to help Arkansas overcome a late deficit for a 5-4 victory over the Rebels.
Nolan Souza got the ninth-inning rally started with a leadoff single to right field. With the tying run suddenly on base, the Razorbacks wasted no time in sending the crowd home happy, with Turner smacking a 1-2 pitch — the seventh pitch of his at-bat — some 410 feet over the wall in right-center field. The Ole Miss center fielder didn’t even attempt a game-saving catch, as the ball easily cleared the wall and sent the crowd into Hog heaven.
Turner was initially trying to bunt Souza over to second base to get him in scoring position so Arkansas could at least tie the game. Twice Turner failed to get that bunt down, but his failures turned into the ultimate success with the shot that won the game and won the series for the Razorbacks.
The SEC rivals entered Sunday’s matchup with the same 12-11 conference records, so this was a big tilt in Arkansas’ direction. The Hogs began the weekend with a bang, beating the Rebels 12-2 in 7 innings on Friday, before Ole Miss answered on Saturday with an 11-4 victory to set up Sunday’s rubber game.
In a matchup of ranked SEC teams, Arkansas had the last word thanks to Turner, improving to 32-17 overall and 13-11 in the SEC, while Ole Miss dropped to 32-17 overall and 12-12 in conference play.
Arkansas’ victory on Sunday could prove to be huge when it comes to tiebreaker scenarios for the upcoming SEC Tournament.
Arkansas got a jolt of momentum this weekend against the Rebels, as the Razorbacks keep their eyes on a potential trip to Omaha next month. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the top teams in the mix to make it all the way to the College World Series:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
