What You Need to Know:
* GSU swept DH at Arkansas State, 5-4 (12) and 6-3, for first Sun Belt road series win.
* Ryan Blanton was 8-for-11 with a homer and a triple in the two games.
* The GSU bullpen pitched 9.2 scoreless innings, earning a win and a save.
Jonesboro, Ark -- Ryan Blanton went 8-for-11 with a homer and a triple and the bullpen pitched 9.2 scoreless innings as GSU earned its first Sun Belt Conference road series win, 5-4 (12) and 6-3 at Arkansas State.
Georgia State (12-6, 2-0) is off to a 2-0 start in the Sun Belt, the only remaining undefeated team in the league. The third game of the series was cancelled due to rain Friday and Saturday.
In Game 1, the Panthers rallied from a 4-2 deficit to win in extra innings. After Joey Roach tied the game at 4-4 with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, Blanton led off the 12th with a triple and then scored on Caden Bailey's bloop double down the left field line.
Blanton and Matt Rose hit solo homers in the third inning. Blanton's homer was his third of the week and fourth of the season, while Rose blasted his Sun Belt-leading sixth round-tripper. He also contributed a two-run single in the nightcap.
"We need to nominate that guy for National Player of the Week," head coach Greg Frady said of Blanton. "He led us to our first sweep in the Sun Belt Conference on the road. Even though it's only two games, it's very valuable because we had not won a series on the road. Winning games on the road is something that we knew we needed to improve."
Frady also praised the bullpen, which earned a win and a save as relievers Alex Hegner, Will White, Kevin Burgee, Jerry Stuckey, Wayne Wages and Cole Uvila combined to allow just four hits and no runs in 9.2 innings.
"We really won the back half of both games out of the pen," Frady said. "Our starters gave us a chance, but I really think the bullpen deserves a lof of the credit."
Game 1: Georgia State 5, Arkansas State 4 (12 innings)
Ryan Blanton led off the 12th inning with a triple and then scored the winning run on Caden Bailey's bloop double down the left field line to give Georgia State a 5-4 extra-inning victory over Arkansas State in the first game of a doubleheader.
Trailing 4-2, the Panthers pulled within one on David Levy's RBI-groundout in the seventh and then tied the game on Joey Roach's sacrifice fly in the eighth.
Blanton went 4-for-6 in the game, including a solo homer to lead off the third inning. With two outs, Matt Rose also homered, his sixth of the season.
GSU starter Nathan Bates allowed four runs, three earned, in 6.1 innings with nine strikeouts. He issued just two walks but they were to back-to-back batters in the second inning, and both scored on Matt Burgess' double as the Red Wolves took a 3-0 lead.
Alex Hegner relieved Bates in the seventh and tossed 1.2 scoreless innings, and then freshman Will White recorded the next four outs before giving way to Kevin Burgee (1-0), who pitched the final 2.2 innings without allowing a run or a hit to earn the victory.
Game 2: Georgia State 6, Arkansas State 3
Ryan Blanton collected four hits, and four Georgia State pitchers combined to allow just one earned run on five hits as the Panthers defeated Arkansas State 6-3 to complete a doubleheader sweep and win their Sun Belt Conference series.
Matt Rose delivered a two-run single in the third inning to give the Panthers the early 2-0 lead. Arkansas State tied the game with two unearned runs in the fourth when pitcher Kenny Anderson threw wildly on a throw to the plate on a bunt play. But the Panthers regained the lead for good with two unearned runs of their own in the fifth.
Zach George's solo homer in the fifth pulled Arkansas State within 4-3, but Joey Roach and Trae Sweeting provided insurance runs with run scoring singles in the seventh and ninth innings, respectively
Anderson (2-1) pitched into the sixth inning, allowing three runs but only one earned on four hits with two strikeouts. Jerry Stuckey (one inning) and Wayne Wages (two innings) kept the Red Wolves off the scoreboard, and the Cole Uvila recorded the final three outs for his first save.
