TROY, Ala. – Rain halted play between Troy and Central Michigan in the bottom of the fifth inning at Riddle-Pace Field Saturday afternoon. The game will resume at 11 a.m. Sunday morning and then teams will complete their weekend series with a nine-inning contest 30 minutes following the conclusion of the resumed game.

Boone Shear gave the Trojans an 8-7 lead as he led off the fifth with his first home run of the season. Logan Pierce and Danny Collins followed with back-to-back singles and Jo-El Bennett drew a walk to load the bases with one out. Before Jakob Nixon could step in the batter’s box, the umpires pulled the teams off the field and following a 40-miunte delay the decision was made to suspend the game.

The Trojans have 10 hits through the first four-plus innings led by a 3-for-3 day by Collins. Bennett, Shear and Pierce all have two hits.

Shear put Troy on the board with a three-run double down the line in left field with two outs in the third inning. Pierce returned the favor with a single to left to plate Shear and Collins doubled to right-center to score Pierce all the way from first. Blake Martz capped the seven-run inning – all unearned runs – with a two-run home run to left-center field.

The Chippewas answered back with a pair of unearned runs in the fourth and a five spot in the fifth to tie the game at 7-all. Sam Russell delivered the big blow for Central Michigan with a three-run homer over the wall in right field.

Both teams had dipped into their bullpens before the heavy rains came. Troy starter Jimmy Hodgskin was charged with seven runs – five earned – on five hits over 4.1 innings of work; he struck out seven and walked three. CMU starter Jon Weaver left after he allowed eight runs – one earned – on 10 hits in 4.0 innings.

Joe Hernandez struck out the only two batters he faced after coming out of the bullpen for the Trojans.