Arkansas no match for Auburn in Game 1

AUBURN, Ala. -- Arkansas entered Friday evening's series opener against Auburn with an offense that ranked either first or second in the SEC in runs scored, batting average, home runs, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.

The Tigers, on the other hand, began the game in the bottom half of the league in all but one of those categories.

Auburn and Arkansas reversed roles on a warm spring night at Plainsman Park.

Auburn scored 13 runs over the first three innings, and Arkansas had no answer for Tigers starting pitcher Keegan Thompson in a 15-2 rout that bumped the Razorbacks from the top spot in the SEC West standings.

Arkansas (31-9, 11-5 SEC) will have a chance to even the series at 1 p.m. Central today.

"Tip your hat to Auburn, man," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. "They got after us."

Arkansas starter Blaine Knight lasted only 2 1/3 innings in what was the worst outing of his career statistically.

Knight, a sophomore from Bryant, surrendered 8 earned runs on 8 hits and also issued 4 walks. All were the most Knight had given up in a game over his first 28 collegiate outings.

"He just couldn't locate pretty much anything," Van Horn said. "Most of his fastballs were belt-high. Breaking balls were up in the zone, as well. They even hit a changeup out of the park that was elevated. He had one of those nights. He's been pretty good for the last five weeks in a row. It was unexpected, but give Auburn credit. They came in and got after it."

Auburn (29-11, 11-5 SEC) jumped right on Knight, who previously had allowed more than three earned runs in one career appearance.

The Tigers scored three runs before Knight recorded an out, including two on a middle-in fastball that Daniel Robert drove over the center-field fence.

Things unraveled for Knight and the Razorbacks in the bottom of the third when Auburn sent 11 men to the plate and scored eight runs, the most Arkansas has surrendered in an inning this season.

Bo Decker singled to left field to start the inning, and Knight was chased from the game by a Jonah Todd sacrifice fly. The Tigers poured on three more runs on back-to-back RBI singles by Conor Davis and Dylan Ingram.

Josh Anthony, who had a game-high three hits and four RBI, hit a three-run home run off the scoreboard in left-center field to give the Tigers a 13-2 lead.

"Who you going to go with (out of the bullpen)?" Van Horn said. "All of a sudden, they're up 12, 13 runs. Basically what's going through my mind is, 'I don't want to burn anybody. There's two more games.'"

Angus Deaton allowed Anthony's home run in the third, but he settled in and made it through 5 2/3 innings with two more runs allowed to preserve Arkansas' bullpen for the final two games of the series.

The freshman right-hander entered the game with a career long outing of one inning, but he threw 79 pitches and logged a career-high five strikeouts as one of few bright spots in the lopsided loss.

"That was huge for us," Van Horn said. "He did a great job throwing four out of five shutout innings."

The Razorbacks struggled to get anything going against Thompson as Auburn's batters sprayed base hits across Hitchcock Field.

Arkansas scattered six hits over the first three innings but was unable to capitalize, leaving six runners on base over that span. The Razorbacks' two runs came in the third inning, when Carson Shaddy and Eric Cole laced back-to-back RBI singles to center field.

Arkansas managed three hits off Thompson and Auburn reliever Calvin Coker over the final six innings.

Auburn coach Butch Thompson said he expects Arkansas to bounce back today.

"I know this is a great ball club that has won in excess of 30 games, and I know they're coached by Dave Van Horn, who can coach and has proven it year in, year out," Thompson said. "So we better enjoy this, sleep good, hydrate and come back out ready to compete, because this is a great Arkansas Razorback team."

Sports on 04/22/2017