Helfrick heroics carry Arkansas to SEC title game over Auburn
No. 7 Arkansas (39-19, 17-13 SEC) advanced to the SEC Championship game with more late inning heroics from catcher Ryder Helfrick to topple No. 6 Auburn (38-19, 17-13 SEC), 2-1.
Helfrick had been Arkansas’ most prolific hitter early in the season, but hit a late-season slide including an 0-for-10 start at the SEC Tournament with 5 strikeouts. But with Arkansas in desperate need of a big hit, Helfrick smashed a go-ahead home run in the top of the eighth 446 feet deep to left field. Helfrick has hit three go-ahead home runs against Auburn in his career in the eighth inning or later.
Arkansas bats found no success against Auburn starter Alex Petrovic, who allowed just 2 hits in 4 scoreless innings with 7 strikeouts, but a rain delay came at the perfect time for Arkansas. A 2+ hour rain delay cut Petrovic’s night short after just 71 pitches.
Auburn’s Bub Terrell stole the show before the rain delay, hitting a homer in the bottom of the second to account for the Tigers’ lone run before robbing Nolan Souza of what would have been his fourth home run of the season. The 2-run shot would have given the Hogs the lead.
Camden Kozeal continued his hot hitting with a key RBI single to tie the game in the fifth. Kozeal now has at least 1 RBI in each of his last five games.
Arkansas got sparkling pitching as part of a bullpen game across four different pitchers. After Cooper Dossett allowed the home run in 2 innings of work in his first career start, the Razorbacks got 7 scoreless innings out of the relievers.
Dave Van Horn took no time putting in closer Ethan McElvain at the first sign of a high-leverage situation. With runners on first and second in the fifth, Van Horn went to McElvain to put out the fire before he pushed Arkansas all the way to the finish line. McElvain never allowed a runner to reach scoring position.
No. 1 Georgia now awaits Arkansas in the final after the Bulldogs beat Florida in the other semifinal 8-7 after erasing a 6-0 deficit. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday and will be broadcast on ABC.
Live Updates:
No. 7 Arkansas (38-19, 17-13 SEC) looks to advance to the SEC Championship game for the first time since 2021.
The Razorbacks will face a familiar foe in No. 6 Auburn (38-18, 17-13 SEC). The Tigers took two out of three during the regular season at home. Auburn starts righty Alex Petrovic (9-2, 3.38 ERA) while Arkansas will send righty Cooper Dossett (0-0, 7.90 ERA) to the mound as a starter for the first time.
Dossett did not pitch in the regular season series between the two teams while Petrovic started the series finale. Petrovic went 5 innings, allowing 3 runs and striking out 4, a game Auburn won 8-3.
Prior to the bottom of the fourth, Arkansas and Auburn entered a weather delay with the Tigers leading 1-0. Play will resume at 8:15 p.m. CT.
Below are live inning-by-inning updates between the Hogs and Tigers.
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Starting Lineups:
Arkansas:
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
RHP Cooper Dossett
Auburn:
2B Chris Rembert
DH Chase Fralick
1B Ethin Bingaman
3B Eric Guevara
LF Bub Terrell
SS Brandon McCraine
RF Mason McCraine
C Lucas Steele
CF Bristol Carter
RHP Alex Petrovic
Bottom 9th:
- Terrell popped out to third, 1 out
- Brandon McCraine struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Mason McCraine flied out to left, 3 outs
Top 9th:
- Pompey struck out swinging, 1 out
- Souza flied out to center, 2 outs
- Niu flied out to center, 3 outs
Bottom 8th:
- Rembert struck out looking, 1 out
- Fralick struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Bingaman singled to left center
- Guevara flied out to center, 3 outs
Top 8th:
- Error charged to catcher Lucas Steele on a missed catch error on a foul ball
- Ruiz flied out to right, 1 out
- Kozeal struck out looking, 2 outs
- Helfrick homered to left, Arkansas 2, Auburn 1
- Stewart struck out swinging, 3 outs
Bottom 7th:
- Mason McCraine singled to center
- Steele grounded into a double play, third to second to first, McCraine out at second, 2 outs
- Carter flied out to left, 3 outs
Top 7th:
- Niu struck out looking, 1 out
- Rutenbar flied out to center, 2 outs
- Robinett grounded out, first to the pitcher
Bottom 6th:
- Guevara lined out to second, 1 out
- Terrell struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Brandon McCraine struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 6th:
- Stewart popped out to first, 1 out
- Pompey struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Souza grounded out to second, 3 outs
Bottom 5th:
- Steele grounded out to third, 1 out
- Carter singled to left
- Rembert singled to left, Carter to second
- Fralick struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Ethan McElvain replaced Fisher
- Carter stole third
- Bingaman struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 5th:
- Ryan Hetzler replaced Petrovic
- Rutenbar struck out swinging, 1 out
- Robinett doubled to center
- Ruiz struck out looking, 2 outs
- Kozeal singled to right, Robinett scored, Arkansas 1, Auburn 1
- Helfrick struck out swinging, 3 outs
Bottom 4th:
- Colin Fisher replaced DeCremer
- Guevara flied out to left, 1 out
- Terrell struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Brandon McCraine doubled to center
- Mason McCraine lined out to short, 3 outs
Top 4th:
- Stewart struck out swinging, 1 out
- Pompey singled to third, bunt
- Pompey stole second
- Souza flied out to left, 2 outs
- Niu struck out swinging, 3 outs
Bottom 3rd:
- James DeCremer replaced Dossett
- Steele doubled to right
- Carter grounded out to the pitcher, bunt, sacrafice, Steele to third, 2 1 out
- Rembert grounded out to first, 2 outs
- Fralick intentionally walked
- Bingaman struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 3rd:
- Rutenbar walked
- Robinett struck out swinging, 1 outs
- Ruiz struck out swinging, 3 outs
- Kozeal walked, Rutenbar to second
- Helfrick struck out swinging, 3 outs
Bottom 2nd:
- Guevara grounded out to short, 1 out
- Terrell homered to right, Auburn 1, Arkansas 0
- Brandon McCraine flied out to right, 2 outs
- Mason McCraine grounded out to short, 3 outs
Top 2nd:
- Pompey flied out to left, 1 out
- Souza struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Niu grounded out to third, 3 outs
Bottom 1st:
- Rembert struck out swinging, 1out
- Fralick grounded out to second, 2 outs
- Bingaman struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 1st:
- Ruiz flied out to center, 1 out
- Kozeal singled to center
- Helfrick flied out to center, 2 outs
- Stewart struck out swinging, 3 outs
