STATESBORO - Jarrett Jenkins' RBI-single bounced off the foot of Panthers pitcher Davis Chastain to bounce past the five infielders and squib out to right field, letting
Rhett Hammontree score and earning th Eagles a 5-4 victory and a Sun Belt Conference series victory over Georgia State.
Georgia State (15-15, 7-4 SBC) led off the scoring in the top of the second with a solo homer to left field by Luke Boynton, taking an early one-run advantage. In the bottom half of the second inning,
JD Kaiser tied the game with an RBI-single, scoring
Kent Schmidt and knotting the game up at one-all.
The Panthers scored two unearned runs in the third and fourth innings, first in the third where a Brennan Hudson sacrifice fly scored Michael Maginnis, then in the fourth when a hit and error scored Jae Williams to give State a 3-1 lead.
The Eagles (17-14, 7-4 SBC) cut into the lead in the home-half of the fourth when
Josh Tate's RBI-single bounced off the pitchers glove and scored
Jonathan Jaime.
Southern took its first lead of the day in the bottom of the eighth inning when
Sam Blancato's hit and error to the Panthers third baseman scored both Tate and
Daniel Haab to take the late 4-3 lead after eight frames.
Georgia State was quick to tie the game in the top of the ninth inning with a bloop RBI-single on the right field lie, scoring Maginnis. The game advanced to the bottom of the ninth inning with the Eagles just needing one run to win. Kaiser and Seasn White walked to start the inning, with Hammontree pinch running for Kaiser. Haab laid down a bunt-single to the first baseman who fielded it on the left side of the infield and couldn't make a play, loading the bases. Jenkins took an 0-2 pitch and slapped it back to the pitcher, watched it roll to right field, and scored Hammontree to walk-off Georgia State, 5-4.
Mitchell Gross earned his first victory of the season with 4.2 relief innings of work, only allowing a single run on five hits but striking out five. He was the pitcher for the Eagles when the walk-off occured. Davis Chastain for Georgia State takes the loss after a third of an inning of work, allowing two walks and two singles, including the walk-off hit.
Kent Schmidt led the Eagles offensively with a 2-for-5 night, scoring a run. Tate, Blancato, Kaiser, Jaime, Haab, Odden, and Jenkins all ended the night with a hit.
UP NEXT
Southern eyes a series sweep over the Panthers. Action at J.I. Clements Stadium will begin at 1:05 p.m.
