Auburn baseball drops series to Arkansas; hosting chances are still alive

Going into last weekend’s series against national #1 Tennessee, the thought was that Auburn needed to win two games against the combination of Tennessee and Arkansas to have a chance to host a regional with 17 or 18 wins. Two weeks later, staring at a 2-4 stretch of baseball where they did exactly what the hope of many fans was and avoided sweeps, Auburn baseball isn’t feeling satisfied with the two weekends but won't let this change their approach as the season begins to wrap.

"When you really start focusing on results instead of what it takes to get favorable outcomes, you’re in trouble. We'll keep focusing on our effort and process moving forward," head coach Butch Thompson said after the game.

Auburn built an early lead but the bullpen couldn’t hold it as Auburn dropped game 1 to Arkansas 11-8 inside Plainsman Park on Friday, spoiling a decent start from new Friday night starter Mason Barnett. Barnett, who was taking the rotation spot of injured pitcher Hayden Mullins, went four+ innings but allowed only two runs, with five hits, two walks, and five strikeouts. Auburn put up five runs of their own across the third and fourth innings, and after lefty Tommy Sheehan limited the damage to two runs after coming in with two on and no outs in the 5th, Carson Skipper was called on to take the 6th inning.

Thompson was confident in the strategy, which has worked for Auburn in multiple SEC series this season. “You really want to get to (Carson) Skipper, if he could just give us the sixth and seventh there with the lead. I didn’t think he was as sharp tonight and him and (Konner) Copeland back-to-back, we just didn’t pass the baton well.” Multi-run homeruns proved to be the deciding factor, with Arkansas picking up two runs on a homer in the 5th and another three runs on a homerun to the first batter Konner Copeland faced in relief of Skipper, who took the loss, in the 6th.

Arkansas scored three more insurance runs off of another homer against Kopeland in the 8th, and Auburn’s could only pick up two runs off of freshman closer Brady Tygart in response. “Those three-run homers are what wound up being the difference in this ballgame," Thompson said after the game. "We had a couple of miscues defensively, and we just could not pass it on clean enough as a pitching staff after Barnett.”

Game 2 showcased the tenacity and resilience of this ballclub, scoring three runs in the final two innings to win 5-3 and tie the series at one game apiece. “We found a way today," remarked Thompson in postgame media availability. "What a difference a day can make. This is just the resilience and the hallmark of this ballclub this season. We reset and regrouped and forgot a lot about last night and didn’t carry it to the park today.”

Tied 3-3 after a pitching duel between Auburn starter Trace Bright, who went 4.2 innings with only two runs on two hits and four strikeouts, albeit with five walks, and Arkansas’s Hagen Smith, Auburn broke it open in the 8th thanks to a safety squeeze executed by pinch hitter Mason Land, scoring pinch runner Garrett Farquhar from 3rd.

“Mason Land, for him to come up and pinch hit and do a safety squeeze to perfection, that makes a big difference.” Land was pleased that he was able to deliver in postgame remarks, “Gabe gave me the heads-up to get ready the inning before,” Land said. “I knew it was going to come down to a big situation and I had an opportunity there. Made the best of it.” He credited the success to their work in preparation, We just have so many guys that can play and come off the bench, so you never know when your name will be called." Land said. "You just have to stay ready."

The game was sealed by the excellent work of relievers Chase Isbell and Carson Swilling, who combined to cover the final 4.1 innings with only one hit and one run allowed, both late in Isbell’s appearance. Swilling, who collected his first save of the season, was fired up in postgame. “I kind of heard the crowd stand up and start clapping.

I usually try to stay calm, but I was another adrenaline shot. I was like ‘this is it, this is what we work for our whole life to be in moments like that.’ It was a cool experience.” He explained that he understood the pressure and welcomed the extra responsibility placed on the entire bullpen with closer Blake Burkhalter’s availability in question.

“When Burky went down last week we knew some people had to step up. Knowing I hadn’t been the best I can be, I just had to go out there and compete. That’s what happened tonight.”

Game 3 was an opposite of game 1, with Arkansas taking a lead early and Auburn being unable to mount a comeback and dropping the game (and the series) 7-4. Most of the offensive damage by Arkansas came, uncharacteristically, against starter Joseph Gonzalez, who went only 2.2 innings with five runs scored on nine hits, including three doubles and a homerun. The inability to locate his slider as well as keep his vaunted sinker low in the zone doomed him, with his exit in the 3rd representing his shortest start of the season.

Auburn used five relievers to cover the final 6.1 innings, and the quintet combined for only two runs on four hits, with Carson Skipper, Chase Allsup, Tommy Sheehan, John Armstrong, and Brooks Fuller doing enough to keep Auburn in the game late. Thompson was pleased with what he saw from his bullpen after game one’s comeback win for Arkansas.

“I was pleased with our bullpen for the second day in a row,” Thompson said. “Carson Skipper kept them at bay. Tommy Sheehan got a bases loaded strikeout to end an inning. John Armstrong, that’s the best pitching performance we’ve seen in a while, period. We’ve made some adjustments and he’s been out for a while and came back strong.”

The offense is where Auburn faltered: the Tigers got three runs off of Arkansas starter Jaxon Wiggins in the first five innings, but could only muster one additional run off of the bullpen combo of Will McEntire and Evan Taylor. Auburn finished with only seven hits, two of them home runs (Sonny DiChiara, 15; Bobby Pierce, 5).

Thompson was very blunt with the issues from his team in game three, “I think both teams hit some home runs and that kind of evened out, but we didn’t handle some routine stuff and our at-bats weren’t consistent enough for the entire ballgame. We didn't swing it enough," Thompson said.

"I thought the guys down the line did a good job to give us a chance in the ninth to try to create some type of comeback." Making things tougher for Auburn was the distribution of runners when those homeruns were hit: Auburn's seven home runs scored eight total runs. Arkansas hit four home runs, and scored eleven runs off of them.

With the loss, Auburn drops to 32-16 on the season and 13-11 in the SEC West, one game behind LSU and Texas A&M (albeit holding the tiebreaker against both) and three behind Arkansas.

Postseason projections have Auburn making the Field of 64, but hosting a regional is the question now, with the magic number believed to be 18 conference wins to secure a hosting slot. Auburn benefits from a Top 5 RPI and a Top 10 strength of schedule, but needs to handle business against Alabama and Kentucky to lock down a hosting spot come postseason play.

Before Auburn hosts Alabama for the Iron Bowl of Baseball, they travel to Troy for a non-conference matchup with the Trojans. The matchup is on Tuesday May 10th at 6:00PM, and is available for streaming on ESPN+.

The radio call, featuring Voice of the Tigers Andy Burcham alongside Brad Law, is available locally on 93.9FM as well as online at auburntigers.com.

Players of the weekend

SS Brody Moore: 6-13, 4R, 1 RBI, 1 bachelor’s degree from the College of Business

RHP Carson Swilling: 2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K, and the win in Game 2

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