Box Score TROY, Al. — Appalachian State University baseball opened its three-game series with Troy on Friday night after winning its last two Sun Belt games vs. Little Rock. The Mountaineers' (8-22, 3-10 Sun Belt) late-game push came up short in game one, falling 9-7 to Troy (18-13, 4-6 Sun Belt).
App State fell into a 3-0 hole starting with an RBI double in the second inning followed by two runs in the fourth on an error and a wild pitch.
The Trojans opened up a six-run lead in the bottom fifth when Troy's Justin Friend came into pinch hit and batted in three runs on a double off the center field wall.
The Mountaineers started to rally in the top of the sixth inning. Matt Vernon and Brian Bauk led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Tyler Stroup doubled into right field driving in Vernon. Conner Leonard hit a single to right field that drove in two runs, cutting the deficit to, 6-3.
After a scoreless seventh, Stroup crushed a high-flying home run over the 30 foot wall in right field with Bauk on first base to bring the Apps within one run in the eighth inning. The two-run blast was Stroup's second of year and gave him his team-leading 19th RBI.
Troy would answer in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Trojans were aided by a Mountaineer error and rattled off four hits, good for three more runs.
App State made final push in the ninth when they drew two walks and loaded the bases with no outs. Vernon hit into a double play but got one run across the plate. Bauk then added another with an RBI infield single. After Troy issued two more walks, the bases were again loaded, this time just down two runs. Mountaineers were unable to complete the comeback as Leonard went down swinging to end the game.
Mountaineer starter Bobby Hampton suffered the loss and fell to 1-5 on the season.
The Mountaineers will be back in action for game two of the series tomorrow afternoon at Riddle-Pace Field. First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m. ET with Breydan Gorham on the mound.
