The Georgia State baseball team continued its season-high eight-game road trip on Tuesday with an 9-7 win over Tennessee Tech. Senior Marc Mimeault capped the Panthers victory with a solo home run in the top of the ninth, his third straight game with a home run and ninth of the season.
The Panthers have won 3-of-4 on the trip and improved to 26-14 on the season. Tennessee Tech fell to 18-16 with the loss.
“This was a very hard-fought, team win tonight,” commented head coach Greg Frady. “The reason we won tonight was this team's maturity. When things got tight, they could have gotten tense, but they didn't. Marc and Carl's home runs in the ninth and Justin Malone closing it out were big for us.”
The Panthers got on the board quickly in the top of the first as Golden Eagle starter Chad Hayes walked a pair of batters after senior Derek Simmons singled to right field. Senior Matt Van Horn followed with a single scoring Simmons and giving State a 1-0 lead.
Mimeault continued the inning with a single to right, scoring Childers and Logan as the Panthers took a 3-0 lead.
“I have been getting into a groove as of late and seeing the ball extremely well,” commented Mimeault on the home run. “After watching a fastball come on 3-0, I just waited on a 3-1 fastball and took advantage of it.”
With the run scored, Childers moved into a tie for second on the all-time runs score list with 137, tying Jay Langston and Josh Vandiver. He is now chasing Jean-Michel Rochon-Salvas for first on the list, who finished his career with 165 last season.
Senior John Locklear quickly settled down after hitting the first batter of the game and walking the second. He did not allow a hit until the bottom of the fourth.
The Panthers extended their lead in the top of the fourth as State scored four to take a 7-0 lead.
Junior Carl Moniz plated the first run of the inning when senior Theo Asher doubled down the left field line. Senior Nick Hogan followed with a bunt single, scoring Asher. Hayes continued to struggle on the mound for the Golden Eagles, walking Simmons and Childers to load the bases.
Junior Bradley Logan followed by being hit by a pitch, tying the school record of 26 with Charlie Pelt for the all-time lead, plating Hogan and chasing Hayes.
Hayes (1-1) lasted 3.2 innings, allowing six hits, seven runs, while walking five in the loss.
Senior Michael McCree pitch-hit for Van Horn and was walked by reliever Chason Choate, scoring another run, before Choate was able to get out of the inning.
The Golden Eagles got on the board in the bottom of the fourth as Casanova Donaldson hit a three-run home run, cutting Tennessee Tech's deficit to four.
Tennessee Tech scored one run in the bottom of the fifth, chasing Locklear from the game.
Locklear lasted 4.2 innings, allowing six hits and four runs, while striking out two before being relieved by sophomore Aidan Francis.
Francis (4-0) allowed two runs in the bottom of the sixth as the Golden Eagles cut the deficit to one run, but got the win after going 2.1 innings, walking three and striking out four.
Freshman Justin Malone relieved sophomore Zach Chastain in the bottom of the ninth and earned his fourth save of the season. The save tied him for the fourth highest total in a single season in Panther history.
The Golden Eagles attempted to mount a comeback in the bottom of the ninth, scoring one run, before Malone got out of the inning with runners remaining on second and third, striking out the final three batters of the game.
Moniz finished the game with a pair of hits and lined his seventh home run of the season in the top of the ninth.
The Panthers will play the second game of the two-game series on Wednesday at Bush Stadium. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. with Adam Knight (1-3, 6.85) taking the mound for State. Live stats will be provided for all games this week via GeorgiaStateSports.com.
