OXFORD – On a day when pitching, hitting, fielding and base-running all had problems at various times, the cumulative effect was another loss in a series finale.

Now Ole Miss is searching for answers as it prepares for six straight SEC road games.

After losing two of three to Tennessee – which had a .500 overall record and had not won a conference game when it arrived in Oxford – the Rebels tumbled in the rankings, falling from No. 11 to No. 15 in Monday’s release of the Baseball America Top 25.

Ole Miss is back in action Wednesday night at 6:30 at home against Arkansas-Little Rock, its only non-conference game this week.

The Rebels are at Georgia this weekend and at South Carolina next weekend.

“We’ve got to be cleaner all the way around,” junior utility player Matt Smith said. “We’ve got to take control of the game and play good baseball.”

After an errorless game behind starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz in a 7-3 win on Friday, the Rebels (21-8, 5-4 SEC) committed four errors in their two losses, three on Sunday.

They stand tied for third in the Western Division with Auburn, a game behind Arkansas, two games behind leader LSU.

Against Tennessee, the Rebels were caught stealing four times on the weekend, once on Sunday when Zach Miller was picked off between second and third, seconds before a double into the left field corner by Mike Snyder.

Pitcher David Goforth, the third different Sunday starter this season, gave up two earned runs in a 4 1/3 inning, but the Rebels were unable to stretch an early lead with just one run scored off four doubles before two complete innings.

“I missed some pitches. I left the fastball up,” Goforth said. “When we would score I was not able go out and get the shutout inning, and that’s what pitchers take pride in.”

The Rebels hit .322 on the weekend, but the Vols frequently escaped excessive damage by turning seven double plays.

“It’s the small stuff. When you’re not doing the easy stuff it kills you,” Smith said. “That’s part of taking control of the game.”

Contact Parrish Alford at 678-1600 or parrish.alford@djournal.com.