March 20, 2009
AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn came into Friday's SEC home opener against No. 15 Arkansas with the second-most home runs in the nation but it was a pair of home runs off the Arkansas bats that ruined a stellar pitching performance by Grant Dayton as Auburn fell, 3-2, at Plainsman Park. Dayton fanned an Auburn season-high 10 hitters in the loss as Auburn lost at home for just the third time all season and the first time in 11 games.
"You had two very good college pitchers going at it toe-to-toe and I thought both pitchers did a great job, but unfortunately for us we made one or two mistakes and that was the difference," Auburn Head Coach John Pawlowski said. "It comes down to little things in a ball game like this and we weren't able to manufacture much offensively, especially early in the game."
Arkansas starter Dallas Keuchel (3-0) went eight full innings in the contest before turning the ninth over to the bullpen. In his eight-inning stint the lefty allowed the two Auburn runs on nine hits without surrendering a walk, striking out four.
The loss dropped Auburn's record to 15-6, 2-2 SEC, while Arkansas improved to 14-4 overall and a perfect 4-0 in conference play.
Arkansas's Ben Tshepikow hit a two-out, two-run home run to left to put Arkansas up, 2-0, in the top of the third, which was the first runs allowed by Dayton since allowing a pair of runs in the sixth inning in the series-opener with Brown, a span of 12 2/3 innings.
Auburn answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth on Brian Fletcher's sacrifice fly to right, scoring Ben Jones, to get to within a run at 2-1.
Trent Mummey's RBI double to right center tied the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh but a pair of throws by the Arkansas defense prevented Auburn from tacking on a run. Casey McElroy had reached on a fielder's choice and went to second on Wes Gilmer's single to left. After a fly out by Justin Hargett kept both runners on their respective bases and put two outs on the board, Mummey ripped a 0-1 pitch halfway up the wall in right-center, scoring McElroy easily from second. Gilmer was not as fortunate as he tried to score from first on the play but was thrown out by Tschepikow's relay throw to catcher Ryan Cisterna from center fielder Brett Eibner to end the inning.
Arkansas would reclaim the lead in the top of the ninth when Cisterna hit a wall-scrapper to right, just into the K Corner for his second home run of the season to go up 3-2 and knock Dayton (2-2) out of the game after eight strong innings.
With two down in the ninth and Arkansas closer Stephen Richards summoned on the hill, McElroy laced a full count pitch to left center for a double but after sliding safely into the bag, he was called out at second after popping off the bag to end the game and giving Richards his third save of the season.
Auburn, which has hit 46 home runs this season, failed to hit a homer for just the third time this season and was held to less than five runs for just the third time this year.
Mummey's seventh-inning double extended his hitting streak to 20 games, which is the first hitting streak to hit at least 20 games since Mailon Kent hit safely in 25 games from March 11-April 29, 2000.
Joseph Sanders, who had reached base safely in all 20 games prior to Friday night's contest, went 0-for-4 to have his string snapped.
Auburn will attempt to even the series at a game each on Saturday at 3pm CT when it sends R-Fr. RHP Jon Luke Jacobs (2-0, 4.43) to the mound. Arkansas will counter him with Jr. RHP T.J. Forrest (1-1, 3.50).
Arkansas 3, Auburn 2 (Mar 20, 2009 at Auburn, Ala.)
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Arkansas............ 002 000 001 - 3 10 0 (14-4, 4-0 SEC)
Auburn.............. 000 100 100 - 2 10 0 (15-6, 2-2 SEC)
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Win-Dallas Keuchel(3-0) Save-Stephen Richards(3) Loss-Grant Dayton(2-2) T-2:41 A-2407
HR AR - Ben Tschepikow (7); Ryan Cisterna (2).
Weather: 68 degrees; Sunny
