Arkansas 7, Auburn 4 — FINAL
Auburn made it interesting, but Arkansas won when Jalen Battles began a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.
The double play came six pitches after Battles committed his second error that helped Auburn score a run.
Will McEntire gave up a leadoff double and a one-out single before he was pulled for Evan Taylor.
Arkansas improved to 5-2 in series rubber matches this year. The Razorbacks will also keep at least a one-game lead in the SEC West going into a series against Vanderbilt next week.
Much more coming soon at WholeHogSports.com.
Arkansas 7, Auburn 3 — Middle 9th Inning
The Razorbacks stranded the bases loaded for the second time today. Both innings ended with strikeouts by Robert Moore.
Jace Bohrofen and Jalen Battles singled in consecutive at-bats to start the inning, and Michael Turner drew a two-out walk. The Razorbacks have stranded 14 today.
Will McEntire is back to pitch the bottom of the ninth.
Arkansas 7, Auburn 3 — End 8th Inning
Will McEntire worked another 1-2-3 inning against the heart of the Auburn order. He has retired 9 of 10 hitters since entering the game in the sixth.
McEntire struck out Sonny DiChiara to start the inning. That was DiChiara's seventh strikeout in this series. The nation's top hitter had only struck out 28 times in 45 games prior to the weekend.
Arkansas 7, Auburn 3 — Middle 8th Inning
Brady Slavens walked to lead off the eighth, but was thrown out trying to steal second base.
Kendall Diggs struck out looking at a 3-2 inside pitch and Braydon Webb grounded out.
Will McEntire, who has retired six of seven hitters, will face the heart of the Tigers' lineup in the eighth, beginning with Sonny DiChiara.
Arkansas 7, Auburn 3 — End 7th Inning
Will McEntire sat down the Tigers in order in the seventh. After a ground out and a fly out, he struck out Kason Howell in three pitches.
He has thrown two scoreless innings in his SEC debut.
Arkansas 7, Auburn 3 — Middle 7th Inning
The Razorbacks' top three hitters in the lineup went down in order in the seventh. Cayden Wallace was called out looking at a 3-2 pitch that was borderline.
Michael Turner struck out for the second out and Robert Moore grounded out.
That was the first inning today that Arkansas did not have a base runner.
This is a big half inning coming up as Will McEntire will face the Tigers' 9-1-2 hitters.
Arkansas 7, Auburn 3 — End 6th Inning
Third-year right hander Will McEntire made his first appearance in an SEC game in the sixth inning.
He struck out Brooks Carlson and got a fly out from Brody Moore for two quick outs. Cam Hill singled on a 3-2 pitch with two outs, but Nate LaRue struck out chasing a 2-2 slider.
The Razorbacks are out-hitting the Tigers 11-5 today. With the exception of the first inning against Jaxon Wiggins, Auburn has not done much offensively.
Arkansas 7, Auburn 3 — Middle 6th Inning
Jalen Battles' sacrifice fly extended Arkansas' lead in the seventh inning. It scored Kendall Diggs from third base.
The Razorbacks loaded the bases against left hander Tommy Sheehan, which sent the Tigers back to the bullpen with Battles coming to the plate. His sac fly came against right hander John Armstrong.
Brady Slavens reached on an error to start the inning. He was out on a fielder's choice groundout by Diggs before Braydon Webb and Jace Bohrofen walked in consecutive one-out at-bats to force the pitching change.
Zack Gregory was called out looking at a 2-2 pitch to strand two more. Arkansas has left 11 on base.
Arkansas 6, Auburn 3 — End 5th Inning
Jaxon Wiggins worked around a one-out walk to Sonny DiChiara when Bobby Peirce hit into a second base-to-shortstop-to-first base double play.
Wiggins is now in line for a win if the Razorbacks hold on. He has been much better today with 4 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts and 1 earned run.
Arkansas 6, Auburn 3 — Middle 5th Inning
Cayden Wallace's second two-out RBI double of the game scored Braydon Webb.
Wallace drove the ball off the 30-foot "Green Monster" in left field, otherwise it would have been another three-run home run.
Webb was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and Zack Gregory walked with two outs to bring Wallace to the plate. Michael Turner also walked with two outs to load the bases for Robert Moore.
All of the damage in the inning was against Chase Allsup, a right hander who pitched for the second time in this series.
Auburn went back to the bullpen for left hander Tommy Sheehan, who struck out Robert Moore to strand three.
The Razorbacks have left nine on base.
Arkansas 5, Auburn 3 — End 4th Inning
Jaxon Wiggins struck out Nate LaRue for the first out and Blake Rambusch for the final out in a 1-2-3 inning.
Wiggins got LaRue looking at a fastball at the knees. LaRue is probably fortunate he didn't get ejected for his reaction to the call, and Auburn coach Butch Thompson also showed his displeasure.
Wiggins has struck out six today. That was his first clean inning.
Arkansas 5, Auburn 3 — Middle 4th Inning
Brady Slavens hit a two-strike double to the right-field wall with two outs. Kendall Diggs worked a full count in the next at-bat, but swung through Carson Skipper's 71 mph curveball to strand Slavens.
The Razorbacks have 10 hits today and have stranded six runners.
Arkansas 5, Auburn 3 — End 3rd Inning
Auburn's big bopper Sonny DiChiara led off the third with a solo home run to right field. That was his second home run of the weekend and 15th of the season.
Jaxon Wiggins struck out Cam Hill to end the inning to strand Brooks Carlson, who reached on a one-out fielding error by Arkansas shortstop Jalen Battles.
Arkansas 5, Auburn 2 — Middle 3rd Inning
Braydon Webb's three-run home run with one out hsa given the Razorbacks the lead. Webb crushed a first-pitch slider from Joseph Gonzalez and drove it 404 feet to left-center field.
It was Webb's team-leading 12th home run of the season. He has hit eight home runs in SEC games.
Auburn was shaky defensively before Webb came to the plate. A misplayed popup was ruled a double by Robert Moore to lead off the inning and Kendall Diggs was awarded a single when replay overturned an out called on the field.
Diggs hit it hard up the middle and the shortstop's throw brought first baseman Sonny DiChiara's foot off the bag.
Jalen Battles hit a two-out single and that chased Auburn starter Joseph Gonzalez. Auburn has gone to the bullpen for Carson Skipper, who pitched Friday night.
Skipper hit Zack Gregory on his first pitch, but got Cayden Wallace to fly out on a well-hit ball to center field to end the inning.
The final line on Gonzalez: 2 2/3 innings, 5 runs, 9 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts.
Arkansas 2, Auburn 2 — End 2nd Inning
Jaxon Wiggins was better in the second inning with the exception of a four-pitch walk to Blake Rambusch.
The inning ended when Kason Howell flied out to right field to strand Rambusch, who stole second base. Rambusch's eight steals in SEC play are second most in the conference.
Wiggins has thrown 29 of 47 pitches for strikes.
Arkansas 2, Auburn 2 — Middle 2nd Inning
Braydon Webb singled and Jace Bohrofen doubled to lead off the second inning and both scored to tie the game.
Webb scored on an RBI groundout by Jalen Battles. Zack Gregory followed with a groundout that advanced to Bohrofen to third base, then Cayden Wallace drove a two-out pitch into left field for an RBI double.
The Razorbacks are hitting Joseph Gonzalez hard today, even on the outs. That was the case on Michael Turner's inning-ending fly out to left-center field. Kason Howell caught it on the run to strand Wallace at second base.
Auburn 2, Arkansas 0 — End 1st Inning
Bobby Peirce was given the green light on a 3-0 pitch with two outs and hammered an opposite-field home run to put the Tigers on the board first.
Peirce's 362-foot shot was clocked at 106 mph off the bat against Jaxon Wiggins. It scored Kason Howell, who reached on a one-out throwing error by Cayden Wallace.
Brooks Carlson and Brody Moore followed with two-out singles before Wiggins struck out Cam Hill swinging at 96 mph fastball.
Wiggins threw 29 pitches in that inning.
Arkansas 0, Auburn 0 — Middle 1st Inning
The Razorbacks made good contact against Joseph Gonzalez in the first inning, but came away with no runs.
Michael Turner singled up the middle and Robert Moore blooped a ball into left field in consecutive one-out at-bats. Brady Slavens worked into a 3-1 count, but flied out to left and Kendall Diggs followed with a fly out to end the inning.
Cayden Wallace smoked the first pitch he saw from Gonzalez, but it was right at the shortstop.
Pregame
Arkansas’ lead in the SEC West shrunk to one game following yesterday’s loss. Texas A&M is within one game, while Auburn and LSU are two back of Arkansas with eight SEC games remaining this season.
The overall series between the two schools is deadlocked at 49.
Probable starters: Arkansas RHP Jaxon Wiggins (5-1, 5.75 ERA) vs. Auburn RHP Joseph Gonzalez (6-1, 2.30 ERA)
Arkansas lineup:
3B Wallace
C Turner
2B Moore
1B Slavens
DH Diggs
CF Webb
RF Bohrofen
SS Batles
LF Gregory