For the first time since the closing weeks of the 2016 season, Auburn baseball has dropped three straight SEC series.

No. 15 Auburn fell to No. 9 Arkansas, 13-2, on Saturday night at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark., to clinch the series for the Razorbacks (23-9, 7-4 SEC) and send the Tigers to their third straight series loss. Auburn (23-9, 4-7 SEC) dropped its series at Kentucky two weeks ago and then lost two of three to Missouri at Plainsman Park last weekend.

"They've given us plenty of opportunities," Auburn coach Butch Thompson said on postgame radio. "Just one of those days where we didn't pitch it or play defense really well, and it's hard."

It's the first time since the final three weeks of Butch Thompson's first season on the Plains in 2016, when the Tigers lost series against Alabama, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, that Auburn has dropped three straight weekend series, let alone in SEC play.

Saturday's loss against the Razorbacks was the Tigers' fourth straight in SEC play, and it marked just the second time in 32 games this season that Thompson's club was never really in the game with a chance to win.

"Just not a good game by us," Thompson said. "It's one thing not to hit, but that's always the hallmark of what you're trying to do is you always feel like you got a chance, but when you just don't come out the gate pitching well, you know, that's even a worse feeling."

The Razorbacks jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a two-run single by Luke Bonfield, and they scored eight unanswered over the first three innings against Auburn starter Davis Daniel and reliever Jack Owen.

Daniel (2-2, 4.46 ERA), who was coming off the second-best outing of his career, lasted just two innings against Arkansas. The sophomore right-hander allowed four runs, three of which were earned, on four hits while walking two and failing to record a strikeout for just the third time in 24 career starts.

The Razorbacks added two runs in the second before chasing Daniel from the game after 42 pitches in two innings. Arkansas then added four runs in the third against Owen, who opened the inning on the mound and failed to record an out while allowing each of the four batters he faced to reach base.

Three of the runs credited to Owen's line were scored after he was relieved by Welby Malczewski, who allowed all of his inherited runners to cross home in the inning before giving up three runs of his own in the sixth inning to make it 11-2.

Auburn's only runs came in the form of back-to-back, fourth-inning solo home runs by Steven Williams and Brett Wright off of Arkansas left-handed pitcher Kacey Murphy (4-2, 2.31 ERA). Williams led off the inning with a home run down the right-field line, and Wright followed with a solo shot to left field.

That's all Murphy allowed over seven efficient innings, as he scattered five hits, struck out seven and did not issue a walk while picking up the win. Murphy handed it over to Arkansas' bullpen for the final two innings, as the Razorbacks limited the Tigers to just six hits for the second straight game.

"They get a starter, a nice starter, but maybe not an elite starter, and he gets another seven innings into it," Thompson said. "That challenge is still there for us -- just not getting the leadoff men on. Just not enough guys getting on base.... We just have to keep working."

Auburn will try to salvage the series Sunday at 4 p.m.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.