ATLANTA-VCU piled up 23 hits Sunday to take game three, 17-8, and the Colonial Athletic Association series from Georgia State at the Field at Panthersville.
It is just the third loss in 19 home games this season for the Panthers and the first CAA series loss in the last eight conference matchups for GSU, dating back to last season. The Panthers and Rams split the first two games of the series, played in a doubleheader on Friday.
The Rams improved to 9-13, 3-3 CAA with Sunday's win, while Georgia State dropped to 20-6, 4-2 CAA with the loss.
"Conference baseball is always competitive," head coach Greg Frady said. "If you don't play as well as you can every single game, you can be beaten.
"When you score eight runs on ten hits, you usually have a good chance to win the game, but you just have to tip your hat to VCU in this one," Frady continued.
The Rams claimed a 5-0 lead in the third inning off Panther starter Justin Malone after Landon Prentiss' RBI brought home Chris Ayers on a fielder's choice.
The Panthers responded, tying the game in the bottom of the inning on an RBI double by Brett Maxwell, a three-run throwing error by the Rams' second baseman and an RBI single from Ryan Fleming.
VCU bounced back by scoring the game's next eight runs, including five in the fourth inning after GSU had tied the game. Panther sophomore Brandon Bast (1-1) took the loss in relief of Malone by allowing four runs, three of them earned, in 0.1 innings.
The Panthers came to within six in the seventh inning, at 13-7, after Theo Asher's 2-RBI double scored Rob Lind and Drew Shields, but the Rams would pad their lead in the eighth and ninth innings en route to the 17-8 win.
Ayers finished the day 5-for-6 at the plate with four RBIs and four runs scored for the Rams.
Pacing GSU offensively were seniors Asher, Maxwell and Lind. All three recorded at least one double on the afternoon, with Asher and Maxwell driving in two runs apiece.
Rams starter Kyle Haynes (3-3) earned the win, allowing five runs, three earned, over 5.0 innings with three strikeouts and five walks.
Georgia State has now lost two straight games for just the second time this season. The last time the Panthers dropped multiple games consecutively, the team responded by winning a school-record 11 straight.
"We'll regroup and get ready to start another win streak," Frady said.
The Panthers host Florida A&M (8-19) in non-conference action on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before resuming CAA play with a three-game series at Delaware (12-12, 6-3 CAA), Friday through Sunday.
