From Special Reports-Faulkner starter Gene Cody kept the Troy State offense off balance most of the night as he threw his first complete game of the season and led the Eagles to a 7-2 victory over the Trojans, Tuesday night at Riddle-Pace Field.

The loss snaps Troy State’s season-best nine-game winning streak, while Faulkner notches its 10th consecutive victory and improves to 38-9 overall. Troy State falls to 19-21.

Faulkner got the only runs it would need in the top of the second inning when seven men went to plate and scored four runs on three hits. The big blow came in the form of a Stacy Boykin two-run home run to left field – his 10th of the season.

Trojan starter Marcus Bell settled down and retired the next seven men before walking Justin Ellis to start the fifth. Ellis eventually scored on a bases-loaded walk two batters later and pushed the Eagles lead to 5-0. Bell (3-7) allowed five runs on four hits while striking out two and walking one.

Troy State got on the board in the bottom of the fifth when junior Daryl Griggs led off the inning with a first-pitch, solo home run to right field, cutting the Faulkner advantage to 5-1. It was his first home run of the season. Cody regained his composure by retiring six of the next nine batters. He only allowed two runners to reach second base during that stretch.

Meanwhile, the Eagles added two insurance runs in the sixth when they got consecutive hits from Tony Maniscalco, Ellis and Stacy Brown. All three players combined for five of the Eagles, eight hits and five of their seven runs. Ellis and Boykin each had two RBIs.

Troy State had its chances, with its best opportunity coming in the bottom of the ninth. The Trojans had the bases loaded with no outs when Newman lined out to third baseman Beau Tolbert, who then stepped on third to double-off Daryl Griggs. After Wade Miller drew a four-pitch walk to re-load the bases, Drew Miller hit a chopper to first baseman Matt Ames to end the ball game. Troy State left 11 men on base in the game.

Cody (5-0) allowed two earned runs on nine hits and struck out five. He struggled at times, as evidence by his five walks, two balks and one hit batter. He finished with 152 pitches.

Troy State’s Coby Smith went 3-for-4 and Lance Newman was 2-for-5 with a double. He also threw out his third consecutive base runner to bring his total to eight on the season.

Troy State will wrap-up its seven-game homestand with a two-game series Saturday and Sunday against Savannah State. Saturday’s first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.