AUBURN, Ala. – Starter
Hayden Arnold had a solid outing for Little Rock, limiting Auburn to just one earned runs through six innings. But the Tiger bats came on strong in the later innings, scoring five times over the final two to hand the Trojans the 6-0 loss Saturday afternoon at Plainsman Park.
Arnold kept the Tigers in check through the first six innings, allowing just one unearned run while scattering five hits and striking out two with no walks allowed on 71 pitches.
He ran into trouble in the seventh, hitting the Tigers' first batter on an 0-2 count to put a runner on. A double to the gap in left center scored another run, ending Arnold's day after 6.1 innings as
Cole Evans took over in relief.
Evans gave up a single to center to score the inherited runner for the second earned run of Arnold's afternoon. Another Tiger double brought two home as the four-run seventh upped the lead to 5-0.
Auburn added the final run of the game in the eighth, benefitting off a Trojan error to start the inning and singling through the left side to push the lead to 6-0.
Erik McKnight struck out a pair, but back-to-back walks with two outs loaded the bases as Little Rock brought in
Cal Beardsley in relief, who ended the threat with a strikeout.
Little Rock's batters struggled against the Auburn pitching attack as the Trojans managed just four hits and seven base runners on the afternoon.
Nathan Lyons,
Jorden Hussein,
Kobe Barnum and pinch hitter
Christian Bernabe scattered the hits for the Trojans as Little Rock did not get a runner in scoring position until Bernabe with two outs in the top of the ninth.
Tyler Williams drew a walk in the top of the ninth to push Bernabe to second, extending his consecutive games of reaching base to 11. His hitting streak of eight games ended on Saturday, but Hussein extended his to six-straight, going 1-for 3.
Little Rock will look to salvage the final game of the weekend series Sunday afternoon with a 1 p.m. first pitch.
Jack DeCooman will be on the mound for the Trojans with the game airing on SEC Network +.
#LittleRocksTeam
