Seven-Run Inning Dooms Hogs in Loss to Tigers

AUBURN, Ala. – A seven-run fifth inning, powered by six hits, two walks and an error, doomed No. 17 Arkansas (19-12, 4-6 SEC) in its 10-2 series-opening loss against No. 18 Auburn (21-8, 5-5 SEC) Thursday night at Plainsman Park.

With the setback, the Razorbacks have now lost five consecutive games for the first time since the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. Arkansas will look to snap its five-game losing streak and even up the weekend series against Auburn at 6 p.m. Friday, April 3, on SEC Network+ with Wiley Ballard (play-by-play) and Mark Fuller (analyst) on the call.

Arkansas starter Gabe Gaeckle and Auburn starter Andreas Alvarez exchanged zeroes over the game’s first three innings before Ryder Helfrick, named to the Golden Spikes Award’s midseason watch list earlier in the day, opened the scoring in the fourth with a one-out solo shot to right, his team-leading 10th homer of the season, to put the Hogs ahead, 1-0.

The Tigers responded with a run in the bottom half of the frame, loading the bases with no outs and evening the game at one on a sacrifice fly to left. Gaeckle, however, weathered the storm and escaped the inning without further damage.

Things would take a turn for the worse in the bottom of the fifth. Auburn broke out for seven runs on six hits, a pair of walks and an error to open a commanding 8-1 lead, knocking Gaeckle (4.0 IP, 4 R, 3 BB, 3 SO) out of the ballgame and tagging Arkansas’ relief ace Cole Gibler for four runs (three earned) on four hits in a third of an inning of work.

The Tigers extended their lead to 9-1 in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out solo shot to right center before growing their advantage to nine on a one-out RBI double to left in the bottom half of the eighth inning. The Razorbacks scored their second and final run on Nolan Souza’s two-out double to left center in the ninth to cut their deficit to 10-2.

Helfrick, who finished 3-for-3 with a home run, RBI and a walk, raised his season slash line to .311/.468/.641 through 30 games played with his three-hit day at the plate. True freshman Carter Rutenbar also logged a multi-hit game, going 2-for-5 with a double to improve his team-leading season slash line to .380/.508/.540 through his 22 games played.

Fellow true freshman Carson Brumbaugh, meanwhile, made his debut on the mound after appearing in 17 games, including 15 starts, as a position player. He worked the bottom of the eighth, allowing a run on one hit and a walk.

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