No. 21 Troy Falls to Florida Atlantic 3-1 in 10 Innings

Thursday, May 23

Lafayette, La.

4:00 p.m.

Troy University

Florida Atlantic

Photo by: Brad Kemp, Sun Belt Conference

No. 21 Troy Falls to Florida Atlantic 3-1 in 10 Innings

5/23/2013 9:01:00 PM | Baseball

By: Adam Prendergast

Box Score

LAFAYETTE, La. – Following a 16-hour lightning delay, Florida Atlantic defeated No. 21 Troy 3-1 on the strength of a 10^th-inning home run by Tyler Rocklein Friday morning at Tigue Moore Field in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

Lightning halted play between Trojans and Owls on Thursday in the top of the ninth inning in a 1-1 game with two outs, a runner on first and a 1-2 count on Nathan Pittman. Tanner Hicks struck out Pittman with one pitch once play resumed.

It looked as if Danny Collins tied the game in the bottom of the 10^th after he sent a screaming line drive into left-center field following a single by Logan Pierce. However, the ball died when it hit the warning track and was caught for the second out of the inning.

Pittman gave the Owls a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning with an RBI single and Trae Santos tied the game with a double to left after a leadoff walk by Pierce in the sixth. The Trojans had a prime opportunity to take a lead in the bottom of the eighth inning after loading the bases with just one out; however, Kevin Alexander was able to wiggle out of the jam.

Hicks (8-3) was charged with the loss for the Trojans after allowed two runs on four hits in three innings of work. Hugh Adams (1-0) picked up the win for the Owls with two scoreless innings.

Troy (40-17) will now come back and play Arkansas State at 4 p.m. on Friday in an elimination game. The winner of that contest will have to beat Florida Atlantic (37-20) twice on Saturday to advance to Sunday's championship game.