ATLANTA – Behind five home runs and 18 runs scored, the Georgia State softball team swept a doubleheader against Texas State 8-1 and 10-2 on Saturday, April 12 at Bob Heck Field. The Panthers are now 22-21 overall and 6-5 in the Sun Belt and in sole possession of fourth place. The Bobcats are 21-23 this season and 4-7 in conference play.
“I am really excited about the way our offense performed today,” head coach Roger Kincaid said after the sweep. “It allowed our pitchers to pitch from ahead which is good and allows them to relax. It is always good to get a lead early and it is always good to put runs on the board. Our defense was phenomenal today committing zero errors. “
GSU blasted two homers in game 1 and three bombs in the first inning of game 2 en route to pair of wins. Junior center fielder Ashley Christy led the way with three RBI in each game and freshman Mandy Blackwell finished the day with five RBI. GSU has 43 home runs on the season, second in the Sun Belt and just five away from what would be a school season record.
“Ashley is playing really well right now and the freshmen keep amazing me,” Kincaid said. “They are doing great things.”
Game 1
Georgia State defeated Texas State 8-1 in game 1 of a doubleheader behind a stellar, complete-game performance by senior starting pitcher Kaitlyn Medlam. Christy drove in three runs and Blackwell finished with a pair of RBI to lead the Panthers to the win.
Shortstop Taylor Anderson opened the scoring with a solo shot in the bottom of the first to give GSU a 1-0 lead after one. The homer was Anderson 10thof the season which leads the team. The Bobcats responded with a solo home run in the top of the second to tie the game 1-1 after two innings.
In the bottom of the third, Christy launched a three-run homer to center to score right fielder Morgan Brown and Anderson to give the Panthers a 4-1 lead after three complete. Second baseman Kensey Caldwell opened the bottom of the fourth with a single and then advanced to second on designated player Megan Litumbe's single to left. Blackwell then pinch hit for Brown and hit a two-RBI single down the right field line to give GSU a 6-1 advantage after four.
First baseman Lauren Coleman reached with a one-out double in the bottom of the fifth. Then she scored on Caldwell's single to extend the Panthers' lead to 7-1. Georgia State added another run in the bottom of the sixth to make it an 8-1 game when third baseman MeQuilla Franklin scored on error by Texas State center fielder Timishia North.
Senior starter Kaitlyn Medlam retired the Bobcat side three up and three down in the top of the seventh to secure the 8-1 complete-game win. She improves to 14-8 overall after scattering four hits over seven innings and allowing one run.
“Kaitlyn was great in game one,” Kincaid said. “She gave up one run but other than that she shut them down.”
Texas State's Rayn House pitched 6.0 innings and allowed eight runs on 11 hits. She falls to 18-14 this season after the loss.
Game 2
Georgia State defeated Texas State 10-2 in five innings in game 2 of a doubleheader behind a nine-run first inning. Center fielder Ashley Christy and catcher Mandy Blackwell finished with three RBI each.
Shortstop Anderson led off the first inning with a single up the middle. Christy then reached with a perfect bunt single to third. First baseman Lauren Coleman advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt. Designated player Callie Alford then singled through the right side to score Anderson and Christy and put the Panthers up 2-0. Next, second baseman Kensey Caldwell blasted a two-run bomb down the left field line to extend Georgia State's lead to 4-0. After right fielder Megan Litumbe walked, Blackwell hit a home run off the top of the wall in left center to push GSU's lead to 6-0. Following a strikeout, left fielder Morgan Brown singled and Anderson walked. Christy then blasted her second three-run home run of the day to give Georgia State a 9-0 lead after one complete.
After a scoreless second and third inning, GSU added one run to its lead when Coleman scored on a grounder by Blackwell. In the top of the fifth, Jordan Masek reached with a lead-off walk. She advanced to third on Kelli Baker's double. After Kaitlyn Medlam replaced Panther starter Eron Milton, Kimberlin Naivar walked to load the bases. Then Courtney Harris singled down the left field line to score two and cut Georgia State's lead to 10-2. Medlam then forced a groundout, pop-up and strikeout to end the game and secure the win.
GSU starter Eron Milton improves to 5-6 with the win. She pitched four innings and allowed three runs on two hits. Medlam pitched the final inning and allowed zero runs on one hit. Texas State's Ashley Wright falls to 2-4 after the loss. She allowed 10 runs on eight hits in 4.0 innings.
The Panthers and Bobcats will faceoff in the series finale on Sunday, April 13. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.
“We did a great job playing from ahead today,” Kincaid said. “We kept putting the pressure on them, scoring eight in the first game and 10 in the second. Texas State is a good team and we have to keep doing what we are doing. One more game, seven innings, and we will focus on that tomorrow.
"We don't want to settle for the series win, we want the sweep which would be huge.”
