For four-and-two-thirds innings Wednesday night, the Troy American Legion baseball team might be able to pull the upset over Dothan Post 12.

But with two outs in the top of the fifth, Troy's 3-0 lead started slipping away. Six straight Dothan batters reached base -four on hits, two on errors – and Troy's lead turned into a 4-3 deficit. Troy tied the game later, but Dothan scored three more runs to take the 7-4 win.

The damage was done in the fourth inning. Starting pitcher Matt Johnson retired 10 straight batters until Dan Tankersley hit a two-out single.

Ronny Woods followed with another single, and Walter Jones reached base on a fielding error by Troy second baseman Brett Pierce. Tankersley came around to score on the play to make the game 3-1.

Josh Sowell singled next to score Woods. Johnson left the game after that batter with two runners on base.

He was credited with all four runs in the inning, but none of them were earned.

Daniel Holder came in to try to save if for Troy, but Ben Tankersley reached on an error by Daniel Porter, and the game was tied. Clint Robinson knocked in the go-ahead run with a single.

Troy tied the game on a Dothan fielding error in the bottom of the inning. Pierce walked to lead off the inning and stole second. Anthony Germain hit a slow roller to the short stop who tried to scoop and throw but missed the ball. Pierce scored on the play from second.

Holder could not grasp the win, though, as Dothan scored two more runs in the top of the sixth. Holder took the loss.

Pete Van Horn surrendered one run in the top of the seventh to end the scoring.

The game began as a pitcher's duel. The first four innings took less than an hour to complete as the teams combined for three hits and no runs. In the bottom of the fourth, Corey Camp came in to pitch for Dothan, and surrendered three runs on five hits.

Tyson Pugh led off with an opposite-field double, and Germain followed with a single. Chase Kelly singled to score Pugh and give Troy the 1-0 lead.

Johnson helped his own cause with a two-out, infield single that scored Germain from third. Drew Walker then singled to score Brett Birdsong, who was the courtesy runner for Johnson.

Dan Tankersley collected the win for Dothan. Pike Liberal Arts alumnus Justin Sims did not pitch for Dothan.