FAYETTEVILLE - Arkansas might have found another starting pitcher to stop the bleeding.

Justin Wells provided another blood transfusion to a sometimes anemic rotation on Saturday afternoon in front of a season-high 7,387 fans in Baum Stadium.

He pitched good enough to help Arkansas beat Auburn 5-4 and even the Southeastern Conference series at one game apiece.

The 6-foot, 182-pound right-hander from Bryant via Texarkana College started his first game as a Razorback. He threw seven complete innings, scattered 6 hits, walked 1 and struck out 5.

Wells, who pitched at least six innings for the third-straight game, threw 92 pitches before giving way to Stephen Richards in the eighth.

"I'm feeling a lot more comfortable as far as my delivery," Wells said. "I have been tweaking it a little bit. Me and coach (Dave) Jorn (Arkansas pitching coach) have worked on it. He's helped me a lot. I've found something consistent that will work."

Basically, Wells changed his arm angle. Instead of throwing over the top, he's been throwing it from a high three-quarter slot.

"It makes my ball move better," Wells said. "I've been able to locate with it better."

His pitching performance helped Arkansas avoid another embarrassing loss and may have given it a new jolt of confidence.

"It's kind of like a boxing match," Wells said. "We've been on the ropes. We've been struggling of yet. It's kind of nice to get a win on a Saturday, but we're not done yet. We're going for a win tomorrow (today).

"We are not satisfied."

Wells said he really didn't want to leave the game, but knew Richards could finish it off out of the bullpen.

"I was tired, but I did not want to come out," Wells said. "I wasn't done competing. My body got a little tired at the end. I've got to give a heck of a lot of credit to Stephen Richards for coming in and getting the last six outs.

"It was huge. I'll turn the ball over to him every time."

Jorn said Wells has earned his starting spot.

"Well," Jorn said. "He didn't have a very good fall. He was pressing too much and was hard on himself, but he's a competitor. He works hard. He wants it bad.

"We thought some other guys we had could get the job done, but we really underestimated some other people."

Razorbacks catcher Ryan Cisterna was amazed.

"I'll tell you what, this kid has come out of nowhere," Cisterna said. "This kid, he's just pitched his butt off every single time he goes out there. He's figured something out with his arm angle.

"He's done something great out there."