What You Need to Know:
* Georgia State moved into first place in the Sun Belt with a 6-4 (11), series-clinching win at UTA.
* Justin Jones and Caden Bailey drove in the go-ahead runs in the top of the 11th.
* Kevin Burgee closed out the win, saving his second straight game and fifth of the season.
* Series concludes Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.
Arlington, Texas -- Justin Jones and Caden Bailey drove in the go-ahead runs in the top of the 11th inning and Kevin Burgee saved his second straight game as Georgia State clinched its series at UT Arlington with a 6-4 win to move into first place in the Sun Belt Conference.
The Panthers are now 16-12 overall, 5-2 in the Sun Belt as they won their fourth straight Sun Belt road game and clinched their second road series after winning only three conference road games all of last season.
Senior David Levy led off the top of the 11th inning with a single to left off Colin Tornberg (1-1), and then Ryan Blanton smashed a double to the right field corner to put runners at second and third. Jones, the Panthers' freshman shortstop, brought home the go-ahead run with a long fly ball to foul territory in right, and then Bailey added an insurance run with a single to right center.
With a 6-4 lead in hand, Burgee closed it out with three straight ground balls to Jones at short as the senior right-hander earned his fifth save of the season and the 13th of his career. He is just one shy of the GSU career record of 14, held by Justin Malone.
Georgia State has played five extra-inning games in its last 12 contests, winning four of them, and in each victory, Blanton has gotten a key hit in the Panthers' final at-bat.
Blanton had two doubles and two singles today and is 6-for-11 in the series. Catcher Joey Roach also had four hits today and is 6-for-9 in the two games.
The quartet of Levy, Blanton, Jones and Bailey also produced three runs in the seventh as Georgia State turned a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead. Levy started the rally with one out by beating out an infield single, and then Blanton doubled to right field. Jones fell behind 0-2 before delivering a run-scoring single to left field. Bailey followed with a two-run double to right center for the 4-2 advantage.
UT Arlington (12-13, 4-4) tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the eighth on a sacrifice fly and an error.
Panther freshman righty Logan Barnette (2-0) came on in the bottom of the 10th with one and one out needed just one pitch to roll a 4-6-3 double play to earn his second victory.
GSU Starter Kenny Anderson pitched 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on four hits. Senior Jerry Stuckey pitched 1.2 scoreless innings in his 81st career appearance, tying the Georgia State record held by Bobby Bennett. Stuckey worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh by ending the inning with back-to-back strikeouts on called third strikes.
Georgia State's defense played a key role in the win as the Panthers turned two double plays, and freshman left-fielder Will Johnson threw out a runner at the plate.
The series concludes with a 2 p.m. ET game Sunday.
