What You Need to Know:
* Nathan Bates allowed just two hits and one run in six innings to improve to 2-0.
* Ryan Blanton put the Panthers ahead for good with an RBI-single in the fourth.
* Joey Roach, James Clements, Justin Jones and Will Johnson also delivered RBI.
ATLANTA -- Nathan Bates allowed just two hits and one run in six innings to win his second straight start as Georgia State defeated UMass Lowell 5-3 on a brutally cold day at the GSU Baseball Complex.
Ryan Blanton's RBI-single in the fourth inning put the Panthers (3-2) ahead for good, and Joey Roach and freshmen Will Johnson and Justin Jones provided key RBIs late in the game, in which the temperature hovered around the freezing mark.
In its season opener, UMass Lowell (0-1) manufactured a run in the second inning that is the only run allowed by Bates in his first two starts. A single off Bates glove, a hit batter and a sacrifice gave the River Hawks runners at second and third with one out before Luke Reynolds' sacrifice fly gave UMass Lowell the early 1-0 lead. The fly ball to medium-deep right field was the only ball that UMass Lowell hit out of the infield off Bates in six-plus innings. The other hit surrendured by the 6-7 junior right-hander was a ground ball in the hole at short.
For the season, Bates (2-0) has allowed just three hits and one run in 13 innings.
The Panthers took the lead for good in the fourth. James Clements doubled to left field to bring home Roach, who drew a leadoff walk. Then Blanton put Georgia State ahead with a one-out single to center, scoring Clements.
Still leading 2-1, Georgia State added two runs in the seventh. Jones reached on an error to lead off the frame and then moved into scoring position on a sacrifice to bring up the Panthers' top hitter, Matt Rose. Left-handed reliever Thulani Denaro intentionally walked the right-handed Rose to face the left-handed hitting Roach, who ripped a double down the first base line to score Jones.
After Clements drew a walk to load the bases, Johnson came on to pinch hit and delivered a sacrifice fly to center field that gave the Panthers a 4-1 lead.
Johnson stayed in the game in left field and made a key defensive play in the top of the eighth, tracking down a fly ball down the line to help the Panthers get out of the inning still leading by one. But the River Hawks scored two runs off reliever Jerry Stuckey to pull within 4-3.
Then Jones, the rookie shortstop, produced an insurance run with a sacrifice fly that plated Blanton, who led off the eighth with a single and moved to third on a sacrifice and a wild pitch.
Senior right-hander Kevin Burgee recorded the final four outs for his first save and the ninth of his career.
"Every victory has a value, and this value is really high because the conditions were so tough today," GSU head coach Greg Frady said. "It was tough on everybody, but our men figured out a way to win.
"Nathan Bates pitched a great game, and then Jerry Stuckey and Kevin Burgee came on and closed the game out for us. It was a tough day to pitch, but what's been coming to the park every day is our team defense. We played great team defense again today, and a lot of people made contributions," added Frady, whose squad has committed just two errors in five games.
"We had a very important inning centered around Joey Roach and then the insurance run that Justin Jones provided was huge. A great team win, and now we've got to get ready for a long day tomorrow."
The series continues with a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. at the GSU Baseball Complex. Tickets, priced at just $5, are available at the gate, and parking is free.
