AUBURN | Arkansas bats jumped on Auburn right-hander Joseph Gonzalez early and often and a couple of miscues in the field costs the Tigers as the No. 3 Razorbacks won the rubber game of the series 7-4 on Sunday in Plainsman Park.

The No. 18 Tigers (32-16, 13-11) took a 2-0 lead in the first as Kason Howell reached on an error, and Bobby Peirce drilled a 3-0 pitch from Jaxon Wiggins over the right-field wall for his fifth homer of the season.

"Joseph was off and we didn't make a couple of routine plays," Butch Thompson said. "That was the difference."

Auburn’s advantage didn’t last long as the Razorbacks (36-12, 16-8) plated two runs in the top of the second. Miscommunication in the outfield led to double Robert Moore to start the third. After a single by Kendall Diggs, Braydon Webb hit a three-run homer over the wall in center by Braydon Webb to make it a 5-2 game. After a hard single to right by Jalen Battles, Gonzalez’s day was finished after 2 2/3 innings, his shortest outing since coming on in relief against Jacksonville State on March 29.

A solo jack by Sonny DiChiara in the bottom of the frame cut the deficit to two. Arkansas tacked on runs in the fifth and sixth to make it a four-run game.

The Tigers tried to pull off a ninth-inning rally as Brody Moore doubled and Mason Land singled. An error on Arkansas shortstop on a grounder from Cole Foster scored Moore to make it 7-4, but Blake Rambusch grounded into a double play to end the game.

Gonzalez (6-2) took the loss while Jaxon Wiggins (6-1) picked up the win for the Razorbacks. John Armstrong, who had not pitched since the Ole Miss series in March, hurled 2 2/3 hitless innings while fanning four.

Auburn travels to Troy to take on the Trojans on Tuesday before returning to Plainsman Park for a three-game series against Alabama starting Friday.