FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 23 Auburn took an early lead in the first inning, but No. 20 Arkansas re-took the lead in the bottom half of the inning and never looked back as the Tigers fell, 5-2, to wrap up the regular season.
Casey McCrackin started the game with a double to left-center field, before coming around to score on an Alyssa Rivera single to give Auburn (35-18, 10-14) a 1-0 lead two batters into the game. Rivera was erased on a fielder's choice during the next at bat when Tannon Snow reached on a fielder's choice. Snow, later in the inning, took second on a wild pitch, before being left on base.
Arkansas (38-17, 12-12) took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first on a two-run home run by Ashley Diaz. The lead stood until the Razorbacks extended their lead with a solo home run by Danielle Gibson and a two-out wild pitch, which allowed Katie Warrick to score from third.
Auburn threatened in the top of the second when Brittany Maresette led off the inning with an infield single. Maresette was erased on a fielder's choice, but Morgan Podany reached base on a fielding error to put two Tigers on base with two outs. However, a groundout ended the inning.
The Tigers made noise, again, in the top of the fourth when Justus Perry was hit by a pitch for the 15th time this season, before Carmyn Greenwood reached via another Razorback error. But a flyball off the bat of Podany ended the inning.
Kendall Veach, in her final regular-season game, hit a solo home run in the top of the sixth to cut Auburn's deficit. It was Veach's 20th home run on the season, which tied her with Jada Rhodes (2016) for the second most home runs in a single season. It was also Veach's 39th career home run, which is seventh most in a career.
Diaz answered with a one-out double to score Nicole Duncan from second with in the bottom of the sixth.
Auburn now turns its focus to the 2019 SEC Tournament, which begins on Wednesday, May 8th in College Station, Texas. The Tigers' first-round opponent will be Missouri at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.