No. 16 Arkansas made a pregame pitching change Friday and No. 22 Texas A&M took advantage to tie the series.
The Aggies scored four runs off Arkansas starter Dominic Taccolini in the third inning and that was enough in a 5-2 win over the Razorbacks at Blue Bell Park. The teams will play a series-deciding third game Saturday at 11 a.m.
Taccolini started in place of Blaine Knight, who was pushed to a Saturday start because of arm soreness. Pitching near his hometown of Sugar Land, Texas, Taccolini allowed 5 runs on 7 hits in 6 innings, and also walked 4 batters.
Texas A&M (36-19, 16-13 SEC) ended Arkansas' chance at an SEC West championship. The Razorbacks still could earn a first-round bye at next week's SEC Tournament with a win Saturday.
Arkansas (38-15, 17-11) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning when Eric Cole led off with a double and scored on Jared Gates' RBI single.
The Razorbacks loaded the bases in the inning, but Texas A&M starter Corbin Martin got Grant Koch to fly out to strand three.
Martin never faced much trouble the rest of the game. He finished with 12 strikeouts in 8 innings, and allowed 2 runs on 8 hits. Arkansas stranded seven base runners.
The Aggies tied the game on Cole Bedford's sac fly in the bottom of the third and took a 4-1 lead on Hunter Coleman's three-run home run to left field.
Arkansas pulled within 4-2 on Chad Spanberger's two-out RBI double to score Jax Biggers in the seventh, but the Razorbacks didn't have a batter reach in either the eighth or the ninth.
Arkansas committed two errors in the bottom of the seventh to give Texas A&M a 5-2 lead. Bedford reached on a one-out fielding error by first baseman Jordan McFarland, which allowed George Janca to score from third base.
It is the second consecutive week that the Razorbacks will play a decisive Game 3 in a series. Arkansas beat Vanderbilt 7-1 last Sunday and is 6-2 in SEC series finales this season.