For the second day, the Troy Trojans let the game slip away in the later innings and they fell to the Arkansas State Red Wolves 13-12 in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, bringing their season to a close.

The Trojans led by eight runs heading into the fifth inning, but the Wolves scored seven runs in the final four innings, including three in the ninth to walk off with a victory.

Lucas Brown got the start for the Trojans. The senior lasted six innings and allowed eight runs on 14 hits.

Troy was able to get on the board in the first inning when Matt Sanders blasted a homerun to left field. The Red Wolves answered quickly in their half of the first inning on a Garrett Rucker double and a single by Matt Burgess.

With one out in the second inning the skies over Texas opened up and forced a rain delay of two hours and 50 minutes.

When the skies cleared, the Trojan bats came to life. They scored a total of four runs in the second on singles by Peyton Fuller, Justin Friend and Joey Dennison. Both Chase Smartt and Cameron Sanders came around to score on a throwing error by Arkansas State.

After the Red Wolves got one run back in the second, the Trojans tacked on three more runs in the fourth inning. Justin Friend at the big hit of the inning, a two-run homer to right center scoring Matt Sanders. Smartt drew in the other run with a single to second base, scoring Denison.

Arkansas State once again scored a run in the fourth inning, but troy scored four runs in an inning for the second time of the game in the fifth.

Friend singled up the middle to score Matt Sanders, while Denison hit Troy’s third homerun of the contest that scored Friend. TJ Binder closed out the scoring with a single to left center that scored Trevor Davis.

That run would be the last run the Trojans would score the rest of the way. The Red Wolves offense however was just getting started.

Arkansas State scored two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings and scored a single run in the seventh and eighth innings.

The game transitioned into the ninth inning with the Trojans holding on to a 12-10 lead. Marc Skinner came out for his second inning of work and let up a lead off double to Tony Ortiz.

Skinner walked the next two batters and Rucker came up and reached on a fielding error b the Trojans that scored both Ortiz and Ty White.

The winning run came around to score on a single to left field by Tanner Ring

The loss brings the Trojans season to a close. They finish the season with a 32-26 record.

Troy finished the game with 18 hits during the contest. Two players in Matt Sanders and Smartt finished with four hits apiece. Friend led the way in RBI’s with four.