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Arkansas 2, Auburn 1 — Middle 9th Inning
Ethan McElvain is back to pitch the ninth for Arkansas. He will face Auburn’s 5-6-7 hitters.
Arkansas 2, Auburn 1 — End 8th Inning
Ethin Bingaman hit a 2-out single before Eric Guevara flied out to deep center field for the Tigers in the eighth.
Ethan McElvain has thrown 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for Arkansas.
Arkansas 2, Auburn 1 — Middle 8th Inning
Ryder Helfrick’s 446-foot home run to left has given Arkansas the lead. It left the bat 112 mph.
That is the third time in Helfrick’s career he has hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth or ninth inning against the Tigers here in Alabama.
Arkansas 1, Auburn 1 — End 7th Inning
Mason McCraine led off the bottom of the seventh with a single to center field, but Lucas Steele hit into a 5-4-3 double play in the next at-bat to erase him.
Bristol Carter flied out to left field to end the inning.
Ethan McElvain has faced the minimum through 2 1/3 innings.
Arkansas 1, Auburn 1 — Middle 7th Inning
It is feeling like this game might come down to one big swing.
Both pitchers have been cruising for the last little bit. Maika Niu struck out, Carter Rutenbar flied out and Reese Robinett popped up in the top of the seventh.
Arkansas 1, Auburn 1 — End 6th Inning
Ethan McElvain retired the Tigers in order in the sixth.
Eric Guevara lined out 110 mph to Nolan Souza at second base and McElvain struck out Bub Terrell and Brandon McCraine.
Arkansas 1, Auburn 1 — Middle 6th Inning
Ryan Hetzler retired the side in order in the sixth. Zack Stewart popped up to first base, TJ Pompey struck out and Nolan Souza grounded out to second base.
Ethan McElvain is back to pitch the sixth for Arkansas. It feels like McElvain will go as long as he feels good or is effective.
Arkansas 1, Auburn 1 — End 5th Inning
Ethan McElvain replaced Colin Fisher after the second out of the bottom of the fifth inning, a strikeout of Chase Fralick.
Fisher gave up back-to-back singles to Bristol Carter and Chris Rembert. He went to 3-2 against Fralick, the 2-hole hitter, but got him to swing and miss at a 92 mph fastball.
Carter stole third when Ethin Bingaman swung through a 95 mph fastball to go to a 1-2 count. After Bingaman fouled off a pitch, McElvain struck him out swinging.
Arkansas 1, Auburn 1 — Middle 5th Inning
Reese Robinett hit a 1-out double off the wall in center field and scored on Camden Kozeal’s 2-out RBI single to right field. Kozeal was stranded when Ryder Helfrick struck out.
It appeared Robinett homered, but it was called a double on the field and upheld when the replay review showed it hit the center fielder’s glove before it hit the yellow line on the wall.
Auburn 1, Arkansas 0 — End 4th Inning
Brandon McCraine hit a 2-out double and was stranded when his brother Mason lined out to Camden Kozeal shifted behind the second base bag.
Auburn put some hard swings on Colin Fisher in that inning. The ballpark is big, so that will help him, but it feels like the Razorbacks are playing with fire if he stays in too long. Of course Arkansas is thin in the bullpen tonight.
Auburn 1, Arkansas 0 — Middle 4th Inning
Colin Fisher is throwing for the Razorbacks in the bullpen and it appears he will make his way to the mound when the game resumes.
Auburn does not have a pitcher up in the bullpen, but right-hander Ryan Hetzler is long tossing on the field.
7:50 p.m. Update
The game will restart at 8:15 p.m. with Auburn at bat in the bottom of the fourth inning.
7:45 p.m. Update
The tarp has been pulled at the Hoover Met. We are awaiting a restart time.
7:40 p.m. Update
The rain has dissipated and the grounds crew is assessing field conditions. It appears some early preparations are being made to remove the tarp.
Based on standing water in the outfield, it is still likely to be a while before the game resumes.
7:05 p.m. Update
A little more than an hour after the storm arrived, it is still raining hard in Hoover. The lightning has left the area. A fierce thunderstorm hit just as fans were evacuating the stands.
The field crew is attempting to keep the field as dry as it can, but puddles are beginning to form in the outfield.
Auburn 1, Arkansas 0 — Middle 4th Inning
We are in a weather delay during a downpour in Hoover.
Before the rain could come, Auburn left fielder Bub Terrell robbed Nolan Souza of a 2-run home run with an incredible leaping catch at the wall. Maika Niu struck out in the next at-bat to end the half inning.
Zack Stewart struck out for his ninth consecutive at-bat to lead off the inning. TJ Pompey followed with a bunt single and stole second base.
Souza went the other way and the ball carried, but just a few feet short of a go-ahead homer.
Auburn 1, Arkansas 0 — End 3rd Inning
James DeCremer worked around Lucas Steele’s leadoff double in the third inning.
Steele was bunted to third base with a sacrifice. Leadoff man Chris Rembert grounded out to first unassisted and Steele could not advance from third.
Arkansas intentionally walked Chase Fralick and DeCremer struck out Ethin Bingaman to strand runners at the corners.
Auburn 1, Arkansas 0 — Middle 3rd Inning
Carter Rutenbar led off with a walk and Camden Kozeal added a 2-out walk, but they were stranded when Ryder Helfrick struck out in an uncompetitive at-bat.
Alex Petrovic is really pitching well for Auburn. He has 5 strikeouts.
Auburn 1, Arkansas 0 — End 2nd Inning
Bub Terrell’s 1-out solo home run was 414 feet to right-center field. Cooper Dossett hung a first-pitch breaking ball and Terrell hit it with an exit velocity of 109 mph.
That was the only hit for the Tigers, though Brandon McCraine put a charge into a ball that took right fielder Zack Stewart to the warning track.
The air is starting to thin some and the wind is picking up, which will make the park conducive for home runs again.
Arkansas 0, Auburn 0 — Middle 2nd Inning
The Razorbacks went down 1-2-3 against Alex Petrovic in the second inning.
TJ Pompey flied out, Nolan Souza struck out swinging and Maika Niu grounded out on a slick pick and throw by third baseman Eric Guevara, who is one of the SEC’s best at that position.
Cooper Dossett will pitch the second for Arkansas. It would be surprising to see him go very deep into this game. It appears James DeCremer is up in the Hogs’ bullpen.
Arkansas 0, Auburn 0 — End 1st Inning
Cooper Dossett struck out a pair during a 1-2-3 first inning. His fastball was 95 mph when he blew it past Ethin Bingaman on a 3-2 pitch to end the inning.
Arkansas 0, Auburn 0 — Middle 1st Inning
The Razorbacks failed to score for the first time since the first game of their four-game win streak at Kentucky last week.
Camden Kozeal hit a 1-out single up the middle. Ryder Helfrick followed with a 110 mph line drive, but it did not carry and died in left field. Zack Stewart struck out on a 3-2 off-speed pitch to strand Kozeal, his sixth strikeout in as many at-bats.
It feels like the park might play bigger tonight than it has the first few days of the tournament. The air is thick and there is not much wind.
Pregame
Arkansas and Auburn were scheduled to get underway at 4 p.m. in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament but the start time has been delayed until 4:55 p.m.
The skies let loose during the seventh inning of the first semifinal game between Georgia and Florida, and the game did not restart until 3:50 p.m. Georgia rallied from a 5-0 deficit and won 8-7.
Arkansas right-hander Cooper Dossett will make his first career start for a staff that took a big hit last night when Hunter Dietz was only able to throw 21 pitches. The Razorbacks are going to have to piece together today’s game and tomorrow’s if Arkansas makes it to the championship.
Auburn will throw right-hander Alex Petrovic, who had a 5-inning start against the Razorbacks in April. He allowed 3 runs but got stronger as the game went along.
Here is a look at Arkansas’ starting lineup:
LF Damian Ruiz
SS Camden Kozeal
C Ryder Helfrick
RF Zack Stewart
3B TJ Pompey
2B Nolan Souza
CF Maika Niu
DH Carter Rutenbar
1B Reese Robinett
Matt Jones
Matt Jones is the managing editor of WholeHogSports.com and hosts the WholeHogSports Daily Podcast. He is a member of the Football Writers Association of America and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, and voter for the Heisman Trophy. He has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in journalism from the University of Arkansas.
