ATLANTA- Georgia State used a grand slam from Bryan Condotta to beat VCU, 11-8, to run its school-record winning streak to 11 games before falling to the Rams, 10-6, in 11 innings in the second game of a Colonial Athletic Association doubleheader Friday at the Field at Panthersville.
The Panthers now stand at 20-5 overall, 4-1 in the CAA. VCU is 8-13, 2-3 CAA. Game three of the series will be played Saturday or Sunday, pending incoming inclement weather.
The game two loss was just the Panthers' second home defeat in 18 games.
"I thought the team played hard on a very long day," head coach Greg Frady said. "We did a good job of maximizing our opportunities in game one and in game two we just didn't play well enough to win."
GAME 1- Georgia State 11, VCU 8
Bryan Condotta hit his first career grand slam and Brandon Williams scored three times to lead the Panthers to an 11th straight victory, 11-8 over VCU, in Friday's game one.
The Rams jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning off Panther starter Aidan Francis (4-0) on a Joey Cujas RBI double and a Michael Cheatham RBI single.
The Panthers surged in front, thanks to Condotta's bat, with four runs in the second inning off Rams ace Seth Cutler-Voltz (1-2). After Williams singled and Ryan Fleming doubled to start the inning, Cutler-Voltz retired the next two batters. Shane Hammond then walked, to load the bases with two outs for Condotta. The senior shortstop launched a ball over the wall in left field, his second career home run and first grand slam to make it 4-2.
"Bryan had a great game," Frady said. "It was a two-out grand slam, which helped us get some big runs in game one and get some momentum going."
After VCU pulled to 4-3 with a run in the third inning, the Panthers padded their lead with three in the fourth to make it 7-3.
It was 7-6 GSU in the seventh when Joey Wood drove home Williams and Fleming with a 2-RBI double to left center to make it 9-6.
Each team added two more runs, including a homer in the eighth by Panther senior Carter Sackett, before Jake Dyer closed things down in the ninth to earn his fourth save of the season.
Francis (4-0) earned the win by tossing 6.0 innings, giving up five runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and three walks. The senior lefty has now won a school-record eight straight decisions, dating back to last season.
GAME 2- VCU 10, Georgia State 6 (11 innings)
Paul Nice's RBI double in the top of the 11th inning proved to be the difference as the Rams evened the series in game two, 10-6.
The Rams spoiled a strong outing by Panther starter Charley Olson, who struck out eight batters in 6.0 innings, allowing just two earned runs on five hits. Ryan Fleming provided much of the GSU offense in the losing effort, piling up nine total bases with a home run, a triple, and a double.
VCU broke a 4-4 tie in the eighth inning with an RBI triple by Michael Cheatham and an RBI single by Taylor Perkins to claim a 6-4 lead.
The Panthers would tie it in the bottom of the inning, however, as Fleming led off with a solo home run, his sixth of the season, to make it 6-5. Joey Wood then reached third on a three-base throwing error, and scored to tie it 6-6 when Theo Asher grounded into a double play two batters later.
The teams went scoreless in the ninth inning to send the game to extra frames.
After a scoreless 10th, VCU would finally break through with the winning tallies in the 11th. Kyle Sutherland led off the inning with a double and scored the winning run three batters later on Nice's double into the left field corner. The Rams would add three more runs off Panther reliever Ben Marshall (0-2) to claim a 10-6 lead.
Rams closer Jonathan Watson (2-3) finished off the Panthers with his second straight scoreless inning in the bottom of the 11th to pick up the win.
"It's always disappointing to lose," Frady added. "But we realize that we split today to start a very tough conference series. We have a chance to come back out here and win the series."
First pitch of the series' final game is still to be determined.
The Panthers have won seven straight CAA series dating back to last season.
