April 6, 2018
Related Links
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Locked in a pitchers' duel and display of well-played defense for the entirety of the game, No. 13 Auburn ultimately dropped a 2-1 decision to No. 5 Arkansas at Baum Stadium Friday night.
The loss drops Auburn to 23-8 overall and 4-6 in Southeastern Conference play, while Arkansas goes to 22-9 on the season and 6-4 in the league.
"I can't ask for any more from our guys," head coach Butch Thompson said. "Ultimately, we're here to win ballgames, but I can't ask for any more. It was a well-played ballgame on a Friday night. It'll happen. We just need to stay after it, come back out here and be excited to play a baseball game tomorrow."
Right-hander Casey Mize (6-1, 2.21) suffered the tough-luck loss despite allowing just the two earned runs on seven hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in 7.0 innings pitched. It was the fifth straight quality outing for Mize, who entered Auburn's career top 10 for strikeouts in the game.
Opposite Mize, Arkansas starter Blaine Knight (6-0, 1.87) earned the win, while Matt Cronin earned the save.
Edouard Julien broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth with a home run over the visitor's bullpen beyond the right-field fence. The home run was Julien's seventh of the season, tying him for the team lead, and fourth in the last six games.
Arkansas responded to take the lead in the home half of the inning. Luke Bonfield lifted a fastball to right field that got up into the wind stream and carried out of the ballpark. Two batters later, the Razorbacks took the lead on a RBI single from Grant Koch.
Trailing 2-1 with runners on first and second in the top of the sixth, Julien came back around and hit a high fastball to deep center field that also appeared it might carry out of the ballpark. However, Dominic Fletcher make a leaping catch against the wall to end the inning.
The Tigers threatened again in their next at-bat as Luke Jarvis and Conor Davis reached on back-to-back singles to run Knight from the game with one out in the seventh. Josh Anthony greeted Arkansas reliever Matt Cronin with a line drive to right-center, but Fletcher made a running catch in the alley to help preserve the lead.
Arkansas threatened to extend its lead with runners on second and third and one out in the bottom of the seventh. However, Mize made a nice play on a come-backer to get the lead runner from third and induced a ground ball to escape the jam.
Calvin Coker pitched a clean inning of relief in the eight, but the Auburn offense couldn't get anything to fall in its final two at-bats.
The Tigers and Razorbacks will be right back at it in game two tomorrow at 6 p.m. CT. Right hander Davis Daniel (2-1, 3.34) will toe the rubber for Auburn opposite Arkansas lefty Kacey Murphy (3-2, 2.25).