TROY, Ala. (4-5-2008) ? Troy junior right fielder Michael Precise broke a 2-2 tie with a three-run home run in the fifth inning, and the Trojans went on to defeat Arkansas State 7-4 Saturday night in game two of a Sun Belt Conference series at Riddle-Pace Field. With the win, the Trojans (19-12, 8-3) clinch the series after posting an 8-4 victory in the series opener Friday night.
The Trojans scored a run in the first and a run in the second before ASU (14-17, 5-9) got on the board with one run in the third and another in the fourth to tie the game at 2-2.
A sacrifice fly to center field from Precise sent home the game's first run and Troy took a 2-0 lead in the second on a base-hit single from shortstop Bart Pettus.
The Tribe answered in the third when junior left fielder Derrick Coleman scored from second on a base hit from senior third baseman Ryan Hudgins. Arkansas State tied the game in the fourth when junior first baseman Brandon Eller doubled, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on stand-up double to left field from freshman designated hitter Cade Baxter.
The 2-2 tie held until the bottom of the fifth when Precise put Troy back in front with the 3-run shot over the left field fence. A two-run home run from center fielder Bryan Miller in the sixth extended the Trojan lead to 7-3 and ended the night for Indian starter Jacob Maggard. Maggard took the loss for ASU, giving up seven runs on 12 hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
Arkansas State chipped away at the Troy lead with a pair of runs in the seventh. Sophomore right fielder Cody Pace and sophomore shortstop Jordan Kimball both singled to lead off the inning and finish the night for Trojan starter Travis Burge. With Troy's Neal Jordan on the mound in relief, Coleman drove in Pace on a ground-out to first and Hudgins delivered a two-out single to score Kimball and cut the Trojan lead to 7-4.
The Indians got a runner aboard in the eighth, but Jordan retired the next three ASU batters, and Troy closer Josh Storm allowed just one baserunner in the ninth to record his seventh save of the season. Burge (5-3) picked up the win for Troy, giving up four runs on 10 hits with no walks and two strikeouts.
Hudgins went 3-for-5 with two RBI's to lead ASU at the plate, with Miller and left fielder Steven Felix each getting three hits to lead Troy.
The Indians and Trojans will wrap up the series Sunday at 1 p.m.
