BOONE, N.C. — After a thrilling ninth-inning rally to bring Appalachian State University baseball back even with UT Arlington, the Mountaineers' (15-35, 9-20 Sun Belt) bullpen ran out of gas in the 10th, giving up five runs and falling in game two to the Mavericks (27-24, 13-13 Sun Belt), 8-3.

App State trailed 3-1 going into the bottom of the ninth. Grayson Atwood started the rally with a single through the left side of the infield. Colin Schmid followed up with a single to put the tying run on base. After Conner Leonard grounded out to move the runners over to second and third, Tanner Mann-Fix hit a chopper down the first baseline and beat the first baseman to the bag.

Mann-Fix's RBI single cut the lead to one run and brought Chandler Seagle up to the plate with two outs. Seagle came through with a clutch hit to left field that allowed Schmid to score and tie the game at 3-3. With only one out and two men on base, the Apps were in prime position for another walk-off win at Smith Stadium but pinch-hitter Parker Henderson grounded into a double play to send the game into extra innings.

In the top of the tenth inning, the Appalachian State short-handed bullpen ran out of steam after pitching 12.1 innings over the past two games. Luke Watts pitched well in relief of starter Breydan Gorham. Watts got the Apps out of a jam in the fifth inning and went on to pitch 4.1 innings with three strikeouts and gave up just one run on one hit.

Reed Howell, who pitched three scoreless innings in Friday's game, came in for Watts in the 10th after UTA led off with a double. Howell was unable to limit the damage, only getting two outs and giving up four runs. Travis Holden entered to get the final out. Matt Vernon recorded the Apps only hit in the 10th.

Like in game one, the Mountaineers took an early lead over UTA. Leonard launched his second homer of the season over the center-field wall in the second inning.

The Mavericks pushed into the lead on a controversial call in the fifth inning. After a ground-rule double drove in the tying run and put a man on third, Quinti Rohrbaugh hit a fly ball to left field. It appeared to the Mountaineers that the runner on third took off for home plate before Tyler Stroup had caught ball. App State appealed to third base but its appeal was denied by the third-base umpire and the run stood.

Had the appeal gone the Mountaineers way, Gorham would have gotten out of the inning with only one run in. Instead, the next UTA batter hit an RBI single, giving the Mavericks a 3-1 lead and ended Gorham's day.

Vernon (3-for-5), Mann-Fix (2-for-3), and Schmid (2-for-4) powered the App State offense on the day, combining for seven of the Apps 11 hits.

The Mountaineers will be back in action tomorrow at Smith Stadium for the third and final game of the series. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.