SEC BASEBALL

Tigers even series by dropping Hogs

Designated hitter Kendall Diggs slides in for a score past catcher Nate LaRue in the top of the second inning to give Arkansas a short-lived 1-0 lead in a 5-3 loss to Auburn on Saturday at Auburn, Ala.
(Auburn Athletics/Jacob Taylor)
Designated hitter Kendall Diggs slides in for a score past catcher Nate LaRue in the top of the second inning to give Arkansas a short-lived 1-0 lead in a 5-3 loss to Auburn on Saturday at Auburn, Ala. (Auburn Athletics/Jacob Taylor)

University of Arkansas closer Brady Tygart, who had been close to unhittable for the past three weeks, gave up a key hit, then threw wildly on a potential out at home plate as No. 18 Auburn rallied for two runs in the eighth inning and held off the Hogs 5-3 on Saturday in Auburn, Ala.

The Tigers held No. 3 Arkansas (35-12, 15-8 SEC) to three hits and evened the series before a crowd of 3,875 at Plainsman Park.

Arkansas’ lead in the tightening SEC West race dropped to one game over Texas A&M, which rallied from a 9-0 deficit to beat South Carolina 13-12 on a walk-off two-run home run Saturday. LSU, playing the late game at Alabama, also had a chance to pull within a game.

Auburn (32-15, 13-10) drew back within two games of the Razorbacks while evening the series against Arkansas at 49-49 since 1960.

Arkansas right-hander Jaxon Wiggins (5-1, 5.75 ERA) will oppose Auburn right-hander Joseph Gonzalez (6-1, 2.30) in today’s 1 p.m. rubber match. The Razorbacks, who fell to 5-6 in road games this season, will be seeking their first road series win since taking two of three at Missouri on March 25-27.

“What a difference a day can make,” said Auburn Coach Butch Thompson, whose club surrendered a 5-0 lead in an 11-8 loss in the series opener. “Again, that has been the resilience and the hallmark of this ball club this entire year.” Half of Auburn’s hits were solo home runs — by Brooks Carlson and NCAA hitting leader Sonny DiChiara off starter Hagen Smith, and by Blake Rambusch against Zebulon Vermillion, pulling the Tigers into a 3-3 tie in the seventh.

Meanwhile, Arkansas got a double by Cayden Wallace and singles from Michael Turner and Braydon Webb, each coming in run-scoring innings.

“We got the leadoff man on in the top of the eight and didn’t advance him,” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said, referencing Kendall Diggs’ hit by pitch, the freshman’s third time to reach base in the game.

“That was a little disappointing. … We had a chance to score some runs and we didn’t.” The Tigers used small ball to strike in the eighth against Tygart (2-2), who gave up runs for the first time since April 9 at Florida, snapping a string of 12 2/3 scoreless innings.

With one out, the designated hitter Carlson drew a walk after falling behind 1-2, and he raced to third on shortstop Brody Moore’s opposite-field single to right field, just the seventh hit allowed by Tygart since April 9.

“His stuff was good,” Van Horn said. “The base hit to right field, that was probably the worst pitch he threw as far as — it just hung. It was a hanging breaking ball. The kid just kind of clubbed it over there, did a good job with it actually.” Auburn pinch hitter Mason Land bunted on a safety squeeze play, but he hit it too hard and Tygart fielded it quickly, giving him time to make an out at the plate. However, Tygart spun around and fired the ball wide of the catcher Turner, allowing a run to score and the runners to reach second and third.

“It really wasn’t a very good bunt,” Van Horn said. “He spun and made a wild throw. Just kind of rushed it. And he had to rush. But if he makes the throw, he’s out at the plate.” Thompson had a different view of the nearly failed squeeze play.

““Mason Land … it takes everybody, and for him to come up and pinch hit and do a sacrifice or a safety squeeze just to perfection basically,” Thompson said. “Pitcher throws it away, and that was a big difference.” Auburn nine-hole batter Cole Foster launched a deep fly ball to center field against Zack Morris to bring in Moore and create the two-run separation in the eighth.

Auburn right-hander Carson Swilling (5-2), taking over the closing duties for injured Blake Burkhalter (hamstring), allowed one base runner in two innings and worked a perfect ninth to close out the victory.

He hit Diggs with his second pitch of the game to lead off the eighth, but that’s as far as the designated hitter went. Chris Lanzilli popped up, Jace Bohrofen hit into a force play and Webb grounded out to end the threat.

The Razorbacks struggled to piece together scoring opportunities against three Auburn pitchers, all of whom had ERAs of 4.29 or better, including right-hander Chase Isbell (9.72), who gave up a go-ahead run in the seventh inning but recorded seven outs before giving way to Swilling.

Arkansas broke through first in the second inning against right-hander Trace Bright, who walked Diggs with one out, then hit Lanzilli with a pitch. With two outs, Webb hit a sharp single to left field and Diggs’ headfirst slide beat Bryson Ware’s throw to the plate.

Auburn moved on top with the two solo home runs in the second and third, with DiChiara maintaining his .500 batting average against left-handed pitching.

Arkansas tied it in the fifth when Wallace doubled, moved up on Turner’s ground ball and scored on Robert Moore’s grounder.

The Razorbacks took another slim lead in the seventh after Wallace drew a leadoff walk, moved to third on Turner’s single to right and scored on a Moore sacrifice fly.

Vermillion, who retired the first seven batters he faced, gave up the tying home run to Rambusch, an opposite-field shot over the short wall in right-center field, just like Carlson’s. DiChiara’s 14th home run, on a 2-0 fastball, was a no-doubter off the scoreboard in left field.

Sun Belt

Coastal Carolina 9, UALR 6 (10)

Graham Brown’s three-run home run in the bottom of the 1oth inning sent Coastal Carolina past UALR at Springs Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C.

The Trojans stayed alive with five runs in the top of the ninth, a rally punctuated by Canyon McWilliams’ game-tying two-run home run with UALR (21-21, 9-13 Sun Belt Conference) down to its final strike. Jorden Hussein — who went 5 of 6 with 3 doubles— started the Trojans’ comeback with a two-run double, then scored on a wild pitch. But UALR stranded 12 baserunners, going without a run between the first and ninth innings. Coastal Carolina (27-15-1, 14-7-1) also made the most of seven walks with no Chanticleer logging more than one hit.

South Alabama 13, Arkansas State 2

A nine-run seventh inning by South Alabama turned things into a rout of Arkansas State on Saturday night at Stanky Field in Mobile, Ala.

Red Wolves starter Will Nash allowed three earned runs before the Jaguars pounded the relief tandem on Max Charlton and Jonathan Baldelli in the seventh, sending 13 batters to the plate and logging nine of their 14 hits.

ASU (10-31, 5-17 Sun Belt Conference) got its two runs in the fifth on Wil French’s RBI single and Jared Toler’s RBI double. South Alabama (26-19, 12-11) was led by Erick Orbeta and Miles Simington, who both went 4 for 5 and combined for seven of the Jags’ 12 RBI.

SWAC

SOUTHERN 7, UAPB 4

Southern opened up a five-run lead and held off a closing push to take the series from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff at Lee-Hines Stadium in Baton Rouge.

Hunter Tabb had two hits, while O’Neill Burgos and Jaylen Armstrong drove in two runs each for the Jaguars (17-27, 14-9 Southwestern Athletic Conference), who led 5-0 early until the Golden Lions fought back.

UAPB (9-32, 5-17), which got a run in the fifth after Andre Greene scored on a throwing error, cut its deficit to 5-3 in the top of the eighth. Southern responded with two runs in its half of the inning, then watched as Timothy Martin hit a home run in the ninth for the Golden Lions. But that’d be all the runs they’d get for the rest of the game.

Karsten Vasquez had three hits to lead UAPB.

ASUN

Central Arkansas 3, North Alabama 2

Kolby Johnson’s triple with one out in the bottom of the ninth scored R.J. Pearson with the winning run as UCA clinched the series victory at Bear Stadium in Conway.

After 27 runs combined between the Bears and North Alabama (9-34, 2-21 ASUN Conference) during Friday’s series opener, UCA (21-23, 15-8) had one run through seven innings Saturday, only tying things in the eighth on Drew Sturgeon’s RBI triple.

Bears starter Jesse Barker limited the Lions to 2 runs on 6 hits over 5 2/3 innings. North Alabama’s Will Haber-stock held UCA to 1 run in 6 1/3 innings of work.


Today’s game

No. 3 Arkansas at No. 18 Auburn

WHEN 1 p.m. Central 

WHERE Plainsman Park, Auburn, Ala.

RECORDS Arkansas 35-11, 15-7 SEC; Auburn 31-15, 12-10 

STARTING PITCHERS Arkansas RHP Jaxon Wiggins (5-1, 5.75 ERA); Auburn RHP Joseph Gonzalez (6-1, 2.30) 

TV SEC Network 

RADIO Razorback Sports Network 

INTERNET ESPN3.com 

SHORT HOPS Michael Turner’s 3-hit game on Friday was his team-high seventh. Cayden Wallace is next with four. … Auburn 9-hole batter Cole Foster reached base his first 6 plate appearances vs. the Hogs before his foul pop out in the seventh inning Saturday against Zebulon Vermillion. Foster is 2 for 2 in the series with 3 walks, a hit by pitch, 2 runs scored and 2 RBI, including a sacrifice fly in Auburn’s two-run eighth. … The Razorbacks are 3-2 in rubber match Game 3s this season, including 0-2 on the road (Florida, Texas A&M). … Auburn is 3-3 in rubber match games, including 1-2 at Plainsman Park.

THE WEEK AHEAD

TODAY Auburn*, 1 p.m.

MONDAY Off 

TUESDAY Off 

WEDNESDAY Off 

THURSDAY Off 

FRIDAY Vanderbilt*, 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY Vanderbilt*, 6:30 p.m.

*SEC game

  photo  Arkansas starting pitcher Hagen Smith allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 3 and struck out 4 over 4 innings of work in the Razorbacks’ 5-3 loss to Auburn on Saturday at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala. (Auburn Athletics/Jacob Taylor)
 
 


Upcoming Events