What You Need to Know
* Georgia State won 3-1 Sunday to sweep previously unbeaten Ohio.
* Matt Rose smashed a two-run double in the sixth inning, and four GSU pitchers held the Bobcats to one run on four hits.
* GSU plays at Georgia Wednesday before hosting Eastern Michigan next weekend.
ATLANTA -- Four Georgia State pitchers allowed just one run on four hits, and Matt Rose's two-run double provided the go-ahead runs as the Panthers downed Ohio 3-1 Sunday at the GSU Baseball Complex to complete a sweep of the previously unbeaten Bobcats.
Offense was at a premium on a cold, wet day as the two teams combined for just seven hits.
Entering the sixth inning, the Panthers trailed 1-0 and had yet to get a hit off Ohio starter Evan Geist (0-1), an Atlanta native and Florida State transfer. Ryan Blanton led off the frame with a sharply hit ball through the right side and James Clements walked. After the runners moved up on a wild pitch, Joey Roach walked to load the bases and bring up Rose, the nation's leading home run hitter. Rose just missed another homer, doubling off the top of the wall in left field to bring home two runs and put the Panthers ahead 2-1.
Caden Bailey's grounder to the right side scored Roach from third to extend the lead to 3-1.
Georgia State's bullpen took it from there, retiring 11 of the final 12 batters to seal the win.
Senior right-hander Connor Stanley (1-0) earned the victory with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief. He came on in the top of the sixth after Ohio's Jake Madsen doubled with one out and recorded back-to-back strikeouts, both on called third strikes. Stanley then retired the Bobcats in order in the seventh.
Lefty Wayne Wages pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning and then got the first out of the ninth before giving way to Kevin Burgee. The senior right-hander allowed a single up the middle to Tyler Wells before rolling a ground ball double play to end the game and earn his second save.
"I'm really proud of our team for the way they battled today through tough conditions to fight for this sweep. We always talk that Sunday is about the will to win, and we showed that today," GSU head coach Greg Frady said.
GSU starter Cole Uvila started the game by retiring the first nine hitters he faced through three innings. He surrendured a run in the fourth on a walk, an error, a single and a sacrifice fly. In 5.1 innings, Uvila allowed one run on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
Geist gave up three runs on two hits with six strikeouts and five walks in 5.2 innings.
After a midweek game at Georgia on Wednesday at 5 p.m., the Panthers return home next weekend to host a three-game series with Eastern Michigan, beginning Friday at 6 p.m. at the GSU Baseball Complex.
