OMAHA, Neb. — Tim Elko and Calvin Harris homered, Hunter Elliott pitched effectively into the seventh inning, and Mississippi defeated Arkansas 13-5 on Monday night to move within one win of the College World Series finals.
The Rebels (39-22) have won seven straight in the NCAA Tournament after being the final team awarded an at-large bid.
Ole Miss will play Wednesday against the winner of Tuesday's elimination game between Arkansas (44-20) and Auburn. All three remaining teams in Bracket 2 are from the Southeastern Conference West Division.
The Rebels, in the CWS for the sixth time, would have to lose Wednesday and again Thursday to not reach their first finals.
Elko put Ole Miss up 4-1 in the second inning when he launched Evan Taylor's high fastball 416 feet into the left-field seats for his 23rd homer.
Harris, the Rebels' No. 9 batter, hit a two-run double in the third and his two-run homer in a four-run fifth. It was Harris' second homer of the season and first since March 29. Harris went 3 for 4 and is hitting .476 (10 of 21) in the tournament.
Justin Bench was 4 for 6 with two RBIs as the Rebels finished with 13 hits against seven pitchers.
Elliott (5-3) had given up one earned run in 12 1/3 tournament innings leading into his start on a humid, 93-degree night. The freshman left-hander settled down after Arkansas scored three runs, two unearned, over the first two innings.
Elliott walked Cayden Wallace to start the third and then picked him off. He worked around trouble in the fourth and set the Razorbacks down in order in the fifth and sixth. He allowed six hits, walked two and struck out four before Mason Nichols took over with one out and a man on base in the seventh.
Arkansas starter Zack Morris (6-1) faced seven batters and got only two outs.
Arkansas scored its first run after Ole Miss left fielder Kevin Graham lost Michael Turner’s flyball in the sun. Graham froze momentarily and appeared to have no idea where the ball was until it landed near him. Braydon Webb, who had led off with a single, scored from first and Turner pulled into second with a double.
The Hogs added two runs in the second but didn't score again until Peyton Stovall homered in the ninth.
Arkansas won two of three at home against Ole Miss in the regular season. The teams have met 107 times, but this was the first time they were matched in the CWS.