The Georgia State baseball team maintained its lead in the Sun Belt conference standings with a series win of over the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (UALR) this weekend.
The Panthers won the first two games of the series on Friday and Saturday and took a loss on Sunday. The team now stands at 19-14 overall record for the season. The Panthers have a 8-3 record in conference play.
Game One
Georgia State had to rally to take Game One as they trailed 7-1 after the fourth inning. The Panthers chipped into the lead with three runs in the sixth inning that put the game at 7-6.
Junior Cam Sperry and senior David Levy singled to start off the seventh inning and sophomore Ryan Blanton drove Sperry in, tying the game at seven apiece.
A Justin Jones single loaded the bases. Then with two outs, junior Matt Rose singled, bringing in two more runs for the Panthers, giving them a 9-7 lead.
Junior Joey Roach came to the plate, singled and brought in a run. That was followed by a Sam Few single that brought home another run. Then sophomore Trae Sweeting added more to Georgia State’s tally with a two run double. This put the lead at 13-7 with six runs coming with two outs.
The Panthers would not look back as they finished out the game with a 13-8 victory. UALR did manage to load the bases in the ninth inning until freshman Logan Barnette came in and forced a double play and the final out to slam the door on UARL’s hopes for the game.
Junior Nathan Bates started on the mound for the Panthers and went six innings and allowed 12 hits and seven runs.
Game two
Georgia State found itself in an early hole as they trailed UALR 4-1 in the third inning. In the sixth inning, the Panthers were still trailing 4-2 before exploding for five runs and adding five more in the seventh inning.
The explosion was started when freshman Will Johnson connected on his first home run of the season. The Panthers would later load the bases. Senior Caden Bailey would then step to the plate and launch a triple, clearing the bases, putting the Panthers up 6-4.
Georgia State didn’t look back and added five in the next inning, finishing with a 12-5 victory and clinching the series win.
Rose hit his ninth home run of the season. Senior Kenny Anderson picked up the win as he started on the mound and pitched six and two-thirds innings.
Game three
The Panthers dropped the finale 4-2 after clinching the series on Saturday. The loss snapped the team’s five game Sun Belt Conference winning streak.
Panthers’ starting pitcher junior Cole Uvila allowed four runs on five hits along with five walks in four plus innings of work.
Blanton hit his fifth home run of the season in the third inning and tied the game at 1-1.
Few drove in Jones in the third inning to give the Panthers a 2-1 lead.
UALR would tie the game in the fourth then go ahead on a Ryan Scott two-run home run which concluded the scoring for the game as UALR claimed the 4-2 victory.
