The Georgia State baseball team split a doubleheader with UT-Martin on Friday afternoon at The Field at Panthersville. State won game one 10-7, before the Skyhawks earned an 8-7, 10-inning win in game two.
The Panthers are now 11-5 on the season, while UT-Martin improves to 5-7.
“The team played hard and gave a really good effort today,” commented head coach Greg Frady. “Some guys got an opportunity to help the team today in ways that they normally do not and I think each one of the truly gave their best. It is always disappointed to lose, but we will move on and get ready to play tomorrow.”
Senior Matt Van Horn extended his hitting streak to 15 games in game two. On the day, Van Horn was 5-for-9 at the plate with a home run and four RBIs.
“When I have been going up to the plate, I have been just trying to put it into play and get on,” commented Van Horn on his hitting streak. “There have definitely been some lucky bounces and lucky drops and I have been fortunate to have some of those this season. I really just want to hit the ball in play and let the guys behind me get me in.”
The Skyhawks struck first in game one, as UT-Martin starter Brendan Lozupone continued to stifle the Panther offense. After scoring one in the top of the second, the Skyhawks added another in the fourth to take an early 2-0 lead. Over that same time, Lozupone retired 11 straight batters faced.
The Panthers would start to get to Lozupone in the bottom of the sixth inning. After sophomore Jonathan Kolowich doubled down the line, senior Carl Moniz reached on an error to put two on. Senior Michael McCree, who finished the game 2-for-3, singled home Kolowich to cut the Panther deficit to one.
After junior Bradley Logan walked to load the bases, senior Marc Mimeault singled to left to tie the game and chase Lozupone from the game. Skyhawk Ben Vesser came in to the game in relief and walked Van Horn and freshman Brandon Williams to give State a 4-2 lead.
Lozupone lasted 5.0 innings, allowing five hits, 4 runs and walking two, but did not factor in the decision.
UT-Martin would tie the game in the top of the seventh as Mark Hartsfield doubled to left, scoring two runs.
Starter Ryan Moore would last 6.2 innings, but not factor in the decision after allowing seven hits, four runs and striking out five.
Senior Bradley Logan (1-0) would relieve Moore and pitch into the eighth before being relieved by Justin Malone.
Georgia State would score four more in the bottom of the seventh. After Malone singled to center and Mimeault walked, senior Derek Simmons singled to right, plating Malone and giving the Panthers a 5-4 lead.
Van Horn, singled to right to score Simmons and Mimeault, giving the Panthers a three-run advantage. Williams would follow that with a single to right, scoring Van Horn and putting the Panthers ahead 8-4.
The Skyhawks would score three in the top of the eighth to cut the deficit to one, before Malone shut down the UT-Martin offense for his third save of the year.
State would add on two insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth as Malone singled in Moniz and Logan singled to center, scoring Malone.
Mimeault went 2-for-4 at the plate, while McCree and Malone each had a pair of hits in the victory.
UT-Martin would score first in game two as well as Kevin Holt single to center, scoring Ty Nelson in the top of the second to put the Skyhawks up 1-0.
The Panthers would quickly respond in the bottom of the second as Simmons scored on error by the centerfielder after senior Chase Childers drove a ball into the left field gap.
State would take their first lead of the game when Logan tripled down the right field line, scoring McCree in the bottom of the third. Mimeault would hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield, scoring Logan and giving the Panthers a 3-1 lead.
The Skyhawks would tie the game at three in the top of the fourth after Kevin Holt hit a two-run home run to left field.
Junior Carl Moniz would get the Panthers two-run lead back quickly in the bottom of the fourth, hitting his team-leading fifth home run of the season with a two-run shot over the right field wall.
Moniz has now hit four home runs in his last five games.
The game continued to be close as the Skyhawks scored a pair in the top of the fifth to tie the game once again. Miles Hartsfield doubled to left-center, scoring Wes Paterson.
Panther starter Zach Chastain would be relieved after pitching 4.1 innings, allowing nine hits and giving up five runs, striking out six.
Ty Nelson continued the inning for UT-Martin, doubling down the right field line, scoring Hartsfield.
Georgia State would take a 6-5 lead after Van Horn hit his third home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth.
UT-Martin would add runs in the seventh and eighth to take a 7-6 lead, but it would be short-lived as Malone would hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth, scoring Nick Hogan who had pinch-run for Brandon Williams. Williams had doubled down the line to lead off the inning.
The Skyhawks would plate the final run of the game after Ty Nelson doubled down the line, scoring Hartsfield in the top of the tenth.
Williams finished the game 3-for-4 at the plate, while McCree, Simmons and Malone each had a pair of hits.
Senior Theo Asher (0-1) got the loss after pitching two innings of relief. Tanner Hensley (2-1) got the win after earning the loss in game one.
Georgia State will continue its six-game home stand tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. as they conclude the three-game set with UT-Martin. Admission to the park this weekend is free of charge. Live stats will be available via GeorgiaStateSports.com.
