AUBURN | Leading 6-2 in the sixth, No. 18 Auburn went to its best available bullpen arm.

It just wasn’t Carson Skipper’s night.

The senior left-hander allowed five runs on four hits in 1.0 inning as No. 3 Arkansas stormed back with nine runs over the final four innings for an 11-8 win over the Tigers Friday night at Plainsman Park.

“I just thought the bullpen was the difference tonight,” AU coach Butch Thompson said. “You really want to get to Skipper, if he could just give us the sixth and seventh there with the lead. I didn’t think he was as sharp tonight and him and Copeland back-to-back, we just didn’t pass the baton well.”

In all, four relievers allowed nine runs on eight hits in 5.0 innings as AU falls to 31-15 overall and 12-10 in the SEC.

Auburn jumped on top in the third inning scoring two runs on a throwing error by Arkansas shortstop Jalen Battles.

The Tigers added three more in the fourth on a solo home run by Brooks Carlson, squeeze bunt by Blake Rambusch and an RBI single by Kason Howell.

The Razorback stormed ahead as Jace Bohrofen hit a two-run home run in the sixth, Kendall Diggs a a three-run shot in the seventh and Robert Moore a 3-run blast in the eighth.

The Tigers got one back in fifth on a solo home run by Brody Moore and two more in the eighth on an RBI double by Cole Foster and two-out, RBI single by Bobby Peirce.

AU starter Mason Barnett allowed two runs on five hits in 4.0 innings. He struck out five and issued two walks on 73 pitches. Tommy Sheehan allowed one hit in the fifth before turning it over to Skipper, who took the loss to fall to 4-2 on the season.

Konner Copeland allowed four runs on two hits and two walks in 1.1 innings while Chase Allsup allowed just one hit over the final 1.2 innings.

Game two of the series will be Saturday at 4:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network and game three Sunday at 1 p.m. on SECN+/ESPN+.