FAYETTEVILLE — Playing from behind all day, Auburn hitters knew they needed to preach patience.

“The most important thing is guys not trying to hit solo home runs when you’re down by 6, 7, 8 runs,” Tigers first baseman Hunter Morris said.

Arkansas pitchers did everything they could to keep Auburn in Sunday’s game. Eight walks, some more controversial and costly than others, played a decisive role in the Tigers’ rallying from 8-2 down to win 12-10 and hand the Razorbacks a bitter series loss.

Reliever Kendall Korbal walked the Auburn leadoff hitter in the fourth and seventh innings and still maintained a six-run lead into the top of the eighth.

But Shaun Seibert opened the eighth by walking shortstop Matt Hall, triggering a four-run inning to make the Razorbacks sweat. Seibert walked another in the eighth while retiring just one of six batters he faced.

ADVERTISEMENT

“You’ve got to make them swing the bat. You have a lead, and you have to attack like the game’s close,” Arkansas pitching coach Dave Jorn said. “You can’t go out there and try to protect it. You have to go out there and make pitches and play the game like it’s 1-1.” With the game tied 10-10 in the 10 th, walks again haunted Arkansas pitchers. With one out, Hall worked Arkansas lefthander Stephen Richards to his second walk of the day.

Hall wasn’t among the Tigers’ leaders in that category with just nine walks entering Sunday, but the Arizona State transfer whose two big hits helped the Tigers win Friday’s series opener drove the Arkansas bullpen crazy with his plate discipline.

“In that situation, we needed base runners. A lot of time it doesn’t come from hits but walks when you get big rallies,” said Hall, who scored runs during each of his last three plate appearances, including the game-winner in the 10 th. “You could definitely feel they were pressing a little bit and we were loose.” One out after Hall reached, Richards hit Morris, who homered, doubled, scored four runs and drove in three. Richards then walked Joseph Sanders, who checked his swing during one pitch. A lost Arkansas appeal to first stoked a heated argument and Razorbacks Coach Dave Van Horn’s ejection.

Sanders remained in the box to take ball four and prolong the go-ahead rally.

“You’ve got to be able to throw it over the plate,” Jorn said. “You have to bounce back and be able to be man enough to take what the heck comes your way. Take the bad and overcome the bad. The game is going to eat you alive if you can’t handle it.”