Even Hagen Smith’s middling days are awfully good.
Arkansas’ left-handed ace and front-runner for most national pitching awards struck out 11 batters in six innings to help the No. 1 Diamond Hogs to a series-opening win over Ole Miss on Thursday, 5-2.
Smith, whose earned-run average sits at 1.76 after allowing both runs to the Rebels, walked four batters and allowed four hits. Both runs came in the third inning as Ole Miss picked up three of its four hits against Smith in that frame and one of the walks.
In the sixth inning, Wehiwa Aloy’s three-run home run provided Arkansas the lead, 4-2, after Jared Sprague-Lott’s RBI groundout in the fourth put the Razorbacks on the board. Sprague-Lott would then follow Aloy two batters later in the sixth with a solo home run to provide Smith a lead on his way out the door.
Will McEntire worked 2 2/3 innings to nearly finish before Stone Hewlett entered to collect the game’s final out.
The win provided Arkansas (25-3, 9-1) with a two-game lead in the SEC West, but the Diamond Hogs have just a half-game lead over Kentucky out in the East. Game Two is set for Friday at 6:30 p.m. from Baum-Walker Stadium.