Towson, Md.- Georgia State (17-22, 8-8 CAA) belted 16 hits, led by three from freshman Caden Bailey to claim a series-opening victory over Towson (19-19, 9-7) in the teams' Colonial Athletic Association contest Friday afternoon at Schuerholz Park.
Friday's second game was suspended due to darkness with the Panthers trailing 5-0 in the eighth inning and is slated to resume Saturday morning at 11 a.m.
The teams are then scheduled to play their series finale Saturday 30 minutes after the conclusion of game two as inclement weather is anticipated in the Baltimore area over the weekend.
Game One- GSU 8, Towson 5
Six different Panthers had multiple hits in the opening game as the GSU offense racked up its second-highest hit total of the year to give starter Justin Malone (1-1) his first victory of the season.
Malone scattered nine hits over six innings and yielded four runs with five strikeouts.
Senior Brandon Williams homered as the Panthers' seven runs off Towson starter Michael Trionfo (6-2) were the most the CAA wins leader had given up on the year.
GSU leveled its CAA record in the process, picking up a game on fifth-placed Towson. The Panthers entered the weekend in seventh place.
The Panthers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning thanks to Williams' eighth long ball of the season. The senior continued his prolific performance at Schuerholz Park as he's now homered five times in four games on the Tigers' home field dating back to 2010.
The Tigers tied the game in the bottom of the inning then scored twice in the second on Pat Fitzgerald's double that made it 3-1.
The Panthers responded with five runs on five hits in the next inning to take back the lead. Williams drove in Bailey on an infield grounder, then Kody Adams brought home Shields on an infield single to tie it, 3-3. Kolowich doubled into left to score Williams and push GSU in front before Joel Van Asch's single scored Adams to make it 5-3. Landon Anderson capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly to right that scored Kolowich, extending the Panther lead to three.
Towson loaded the bases with nobody out in the fourth after a pair of hits and a walk, but Malone induced three straight ground balls in the infield and the Panther defense kept the Tigers off the board in the inning.
With GSU ahead 7-4 in the seventh, the Tigers came back within two on an RBI double, but it was as close as they would get.
Panther junior Greg Bowder tripled and scored on a Bailey single in the eighth, then GSU reliever Jake Dyer tossed a scoreless final two innings to nail down the win with his third save of the year.
The Panthers ended a five-game losing streak at Towson with the victory and won for just the third time this season away from home.
