With the bases loaded, nobody out in the ninth inning and Arkansas nursing a two-run lead, Zack Morris made his jog from the bullpen. Two nights before he recorded a grand total of one out in a start against Ole Miss.
On Wednesday, he recorded three. In that exact situation.
The junior gave up a run-scoring infield hit, but recorded a strikeout, induced a flyout and a lineout to lift Arkansas to a win, 3-2, over the Rebels.
The victory forced a winner-take-all game between the two teams on Thursday night. The winner of that will play in the national championship series against Oklahoma, which eliminated No. 5 Texas A&M earlier in the day.
Ole Miss loaded the bases with no one out in the ninth after Evan Taylor allowed a single on the first pitch and Brady Tygart hit back-to-back Rebels batters on consecutive pitches. Van Horn called for Morris.
Chris Lanzilli homered for Arkansas in the second but was immediately followed in the bottom of the inning by Kemp Alderman going solo. Hagen Smith came out recorded strikeouts on eight of the next nine outs he recorded.
Meanwhile, Brady Slavens went yard with another solo home run in the fifth and Michael Turner hit an RBI single in the eighth to provide a bit of insurance.
Taylor entered in the sixth and allowed just a single hit through his first three innings. Alderman took the first pitch of the ninth to right field, though, to bring the tying run to the plate and finish Taylor’s night for Brady Tygart, the man who served as Arkansas’ closer most of the year.
But it was Morris who closed it and kept the Diamond Hogs alive for another day.