WATCH: Arkansas survives wild finish behind Zack Morris pitching, keeps season alive
The Arkansas Razorbacks avoided elimination by Ole Miss in a wild finish behind a clutch performance on the mound from Zack Morris. Arkansas defeated Ole Miss 3-2 in the closest game of the CWS, keeping their season alive and forcing a winner-take-all game between the schools on Thursday night.
Arkansas avoids elimination in wild finish
The game came down to a dramatic ninth inning for Ole Miss where they loaded the bases after two hit batters by Brady Tygart. Tygart entered the game in the ninth inning with one runner on base before hitting his first two batters faced. The Razorbacks pulled Tygart for Zack Morris, who faced bases loaded to save his team’s season.
Hayden Leatherwood struck out swinging, giving Arkansas the first out of the inning and setting up a potential double play to end the game. TJ McCants was up to the plate next and fell behind 1-2 in the count before popping a fly ball that ended with an incredibly dramatic moment as the defense didn’t hear each other calling for the ball. Jace Bohrofen made the catch for the second out as Jalen Battles collided with him.
Ole Miss scored a run on their next at-bat as the ball was fielded by Battles with no play to make, setting up the tying run at third base with two outs. Morris finished out the inning by forcing a fly ball to left field, setting the two teams up for a rematch on Thursday night.
The win sets up a rubber match to decide who will represent the SEC in the CWS Finals, as Ole Miss loses their first game of the postseason. Oklahoma defeated Texas A&M earlier in the day to earn their spot in the final, and will have one extra day of rest for their team before Saturday when the CWS Finals begin.