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Head Coach Greg Frady
Senior Carl Moniz
Sophomore Brandon Williams
Sophomore Nick Squeglia
ATLANTA - Led by sophomore Brandon Williams and senior Carl Moniz, the Georgia State baseball team finished a sweep of North Carolina Central on Sunday afternoon with a 33-5 win over the Eagles at The Field at Panthersville.
In four games this weekend, the Panthers scored a school-record 103 runs, breaking the old single-game scoring record of 22 runs three times, scoring over 30 runs twice.
Georgia State extended its winning streak to four games and improved to 4-6 on the season, while North Carolina Central dropped to 0-8.
"It feels good to be playing good," commented head coach Greg Frady. "The team has relaxed and loosened up a lot. I think you have seen our bats awaken, while are pitchers are doing a great job on the mound. Our team has a good focus now and I think everyone is doing what is being asked of them."
Williams led the Panther charge, raising his batting average to .455 on the season. The sophomore went 5-for-6 at the plate with four runs scored and four RBIs.
Moniz had an equally impressive day, going 3-for-5 at the plate with five RBIs, belting his first home run of the season. The senior also plated two runs as he raised his batting average over 300 points on the weekend.
Junior Mark Micowski continued his stellar play at the plate, collecting two hits, scoring six times. Micowski reached base twice in the Panthers 16-run fifth inning on errors by the Eagles first baseman. Thru 10 games, he leads the team with 18 runs scored and 21 hits, batting .489 on the season.
Junior Ryan Fleming came in as a pinch hitter, going 1-for-2 with his second grand slam and third home run in as many days. After his performance today, Fleming is batting .517 and slugging at a 1.111 clip on the season, with 30 total bases.
Sophomore catcher Chris Metcalf went 2-for-2 at the plate with three runs score and three RBI, raising his batting average to .412.
Redshirt-junior Joey Wood also belted his first home run of the season, going 1-for-2 at the plate with three runs scored and two walks.
Senior Bradley Logan raised his batting average to .362, going 2-for-5 at the plate with three runs scored and two RBIs.
Not to be lost in the excellent hitting performance was the pitching of sophomore Nick Squeglia (1-0) who earned the win for State. Squeglia went 5.0 innings, allowing just two hits and one run, which was unearned. He struck out four Eagles on the day.
"Nick threw outstanding," commented Frady. "He has been waiting on this opportunity and I think he was mentally and physical ready for the challenge. Our pitching staff is very proud of Nick, but we are not surprised as we knew he was capable of that type of performance."
Juniors Theo Asher and Zach Chastain finished the game. Chastain went 1.2 innings, holding the Eagles scoreless.
Brandon Otis (0-1) took the loss for N.C. Central. Otis lasted 3.0 innings, giving up eight hits and 10 runs, eight of which were earned. Otis was pulled before the Panther bats came alive with an eight-run fourth, followed by the 16-run fifth.
The Panthers will return to the field on Monday to begin a series with UNC Asheville. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. The series will conclude on Tuesday with a 2 p.m. start at The Field at Panthersville. This is a change from the original schedule that had the series as a Tuesday-Wednesday series.
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.
