Spartanburg, S.C. - The Georgia State baseball team appeared to have righted-the-ship thru six innings of Wednesday afternoon's game with USC Upstate. However, one big inning by the Spartans, a seven-run seventh, dropped the Panthers to 0-5 on the young season.
Junior Charley Olson made his first start in a Panther uniform and pitched 6.0 solid innings, scattering four hits and allowing just one run, striking out five. He left the game with the Panthers ahead 5-1, but the bullpen was not able to hold it.
Junior Jeremy Gazerro relieved Olson in the bottom of the seventh and was not able to record an out. The Spartans led-off with a solo home run by Andre Harris over the right field wall.
Upstate loaded the bases and eventually scored seven runs to take an 8-5 lead. A dropped third strike and a passed ball charged to Chris Metcalf, gave the Spartans extra opportunities to score for the second night in a row.
On Tuesday night, three errors in one inning doomed Georgia State in a 9-7 loss to the same Spartans.
Gazerro (0-1) allowed three hits, five runs, walking one and was credited with the loss.
Ryan Newell (1-0) earned the win, pitching the final five innings, allowing just one run on five hits. USC Upstate improved to 3-2 with the win.
For the second evening in a row, the Panthers got off to a solid start. Georgia State got on the board with two runs in the top of the second on a pair of errors by the Spartans.
Junior Rob Lind started the inning by reaching on an error by the second baseman. Senior Bradley Logan, batting clean-up, placed down a perfect bunt to reach safely. Junior Ryan Fleming then reached on a bunt that the pitcher threw widely to first, scoring Lind and advancing the runners as the Panthers went ahead 1-0.
Chris Metcalf followed with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Logan to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead.
The Spartans got one back in the bottom of the fifth when Brian Dempsey scored on an Austin Liput single to right field, the lone run allowed by Olson.
The Panthers got on the board again in the top of the sixth on the Spartans third error of the day. Junior Theo Asher's ground ball to the third base side was thrown away, scoring Fleming.
Metcalf followed with a double down the left-field line, scoring Asher as State went ahead 4-1.
Logan blasted a solo home run in the top of the seventh, his second in two games, putting the Panthers ahead 5-1. He now has 29 home runs in his career, seventh on the all-time school list.
Logan finished the game 2-for-5 with two runs scored, while Rob Lind and Mark Micowski each earned a pair of hits.
Andre Harris finished the game 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored for Upstate.
Spartan starter Gaither Bumgardner went 4.0 innings, allowing three hits and two runs, neither of which were earned, but did not factor in to the decision.
The Panthers will take a rare middle-of-the-season weekend off and not return to the diamond until next Wednesday. Georgia State will face in-state rival Mercer at 6 p.m. at The Field at Panthersville.
Live stats are provided for all Panther home games this season. Tickets for the game can be purchased at the box office, by calling 1-866-GA-State or by visiting any Ticketmaster location.
